Star Fox: My Life is Yours
by ThatWinchieGuy
Summary: A story about growing old with the person you love. Fox struggles with his inner thoughts, his friendships, and his marriage. Reviews are always appreciated!
1. Exposition

**Hey guys, this is just a quick idea I had while sitting around, these first few chapters will be tests, just to see if there's any interest for the story, so if you like it don't forget to leave a review or a favorite. In this AU, Command never happens, so there is peace after the Aparoids are destroyed. **

The Aparoid War had left a stain on Fox McCloud's mind, one that could not be scrubbed off through thought and meditation. Fox had tried all of this, but the mark remained. It wasn't a physical condition, more emotional, spiritual, and, in a sense, natural. Fox was still strong, a man of 32 years now, and though he hated to admit it, he was not the same young hero that had defeated Andross and saved Sauria, along with Krystal, all those years ago. He certainly wasn't old, but, he could feel his reaction time slowing, his power weakening ever so slightly, and he couldn't help but face the fact that his line of work was not one meant for the old.

The team had somewhat disbanded, though not entirely, and ties between them were still very close. Falco still lived in the McCloud manor, the one Fox inherited when his father had passed, along with him a young girl named Katt, who, Fox hated to admit, was too young for his old friend. Krystal resided there too; Fox and her were engaged. Slippy had moved on to continue his father's work; Beltino had passed about a year ago. Peppy, too, had died, an event that weighed on Fox heavily, though he knew that it was near when the Aparoid War ended. The Great Fox was safely stored in a Cornerian Naval Force base, and was awaiting the day that Fox called upon it again. ROB was locked away, as he was part of the Great Fox and could never be taken away from it. Wolf O'Donnel, Fox's old nemesis, was dead, along with his crew, Leon and Panther. They had been killed in a skirmish involving the Cornerian Navy not long after the war ended. Fox was sad to see him go, truthfully, and wished it was him who pulled the trigger behind the gun. That would be the only way Wolf would've wanted to go out. He had at least deserved that honor.

Fox and Krystal lived with Falco and his young "friend", and each of them was happy knowing the other was relatively safe. Krystal was 30 now, but Fox couldn't deny that she was still as beautiful as she was when he first saw her all those years ago, back when he was in his late teens. He was amazed that they were still together, as they had known each other for so long. He wasn't complaining, not in the least, but he considered their story a miracle. After all, he was lucky that she wasn't dead on Sauria, at the bottom of the Krazoa Palace.

Fox still worked, as it was the only life he knew. He completed quick, easy bounties, nothing too serious. Occasionally he worked alongside the military, his friend Pepper found it easy to make use of his skills. Fox was, first and foremost, a leader, with a knack for orating, and Fox often was used to rally troops to take down a band of terrorists. These petty jobs did not satisfy Fox, and he yearned to sit behind the controls of an Arwing again. But his love for Krystal was too great, confining him to the ground. If he died, Fox had no idea how Krystal would take it. He didn't want to hurt her like that.

Fox struggled with the thought of becoming a husband and, eventually, a father. Fox loved his father, and missed him greatly. He wanted his children to feel the same about him as Fox did about his own father. Krystal was not pregnant, but Fox and her had discussed their thoughts on whether to have children. Both showed desire to settle down, to have a family, but not too soon. After all, they were only in their early 30's, and hoped to live a domestic life together before forming a new one. Their wedding day was in three weeks, and both of them were equally excited. Fox did whatever he could to make her happy, and, to his eyes, he seemed to be doing a pretty good job of doing so.

At this moment, Fox was thinking to himself, looking over the city of Corneria. He thought about his old days, when he fought Andross alongside Falco. The bird, though stubborn and cocky, was important to him, and he was happy to see his friend finally attempting to settle down as he had. Next, he thought about Sauria, and his mission there. It was certainly the turning point in his career, the point where he realized he had met his father's expectations, the point where Fox began to consider himself a success. He smiled at this thought. He thought about Krystal, the woman he had chosen to give his life to. He was certain he had made the right choice. He remembered the way he proposed to her. He met her, alone, at his home, in the courtyard. On a speaker, he played the song "Speak Softly Love," and invited the woman of his dreams to dance. He remembered how stunned she looked, surprised that her nervous little Fox was able to contain himself in such a situation. He chuckled, remembering all the times he had played the part of the clumsy fool in front of her.

It was four in the morning now, and Fox decided to walk back inside. His meditation was over. He smiled gently, happy with the life he had lived to this point. He looked down, observing his body. It was like an ancient armor, chipped and rusted, but battle-tested and strong. He thought the same thing about his mind, which had been battered more times than his body had. Many of Fox's problems were often more mental than physical, as Fox's body recovered quickly from injuries. Looking back at all he had been through, Fox was surprised he hadn't gone completely insane by now. He had suffered PTSD many times, twice after the Aparoid War and once after his father died, and yet another when he was shot down in orbit above Venom. For a time, he had an obsession with Krystal, with keeping her safe from any harm. He refused to leave her, and it had an effect on his health as well. That was gone now, as counselling had fixed that problem two years ago.

Fox walked into his bedroom, and looked at the cerulean vixen that lay there sleeping. He smiled, closed the door, and decided it was best to leave her alone. He could feel her telepathic powers affecting his brain, channeling thoughts that told him she wished to be left alone. Sleeping in the same bed as Krystal had proven to be a small challenge for Fox, as her telepathic abilities ran rampant as she slept, and more often than not affected Fox as well. The two often had the same dreams, which was mostly due to Krystal, who channeled her dreams to Fox's head as she slept. These dreams were sometimes nightmares, which caused the two to awake at the same time, sweating and screaming, then looking at each other, and instantly calming down.

Some time passed, and before Fox knew it, Krystal and Katt were up. It was nine in the morning. Falco usually didn't join society until sometime in the P.M, as he currently was a bit too fond of whiskey. Fox reminded himself to talk to Falco about it sometime. Fox and Krystal had a big day ahead, and chose to head out early to get all of their errands done. They said goodbye to Katt, then hopped into Fox's car, and drove off.

Fox stumbled into the house, holding a plethora of bags, ranging from groceries to clothes. Fox had decided to take Krystal out, make her feel special. Well, now she was 4000 dollar special, he thought, smiling to himself in his head, as the effort he was exerting didn't allow his face to do much but strain. Falco was up, slowly rubbing his temples. He looked as though he hadn't slept a wink in days, and Katt seemed detached from the situation, knowing that it was all because he couldn't tell himself when to put the glass down. It was 2:00 now.

Fox explained to Krystal that he had to go somewhere, alone, to think. Fox wasn't sure why he was thinking so much lately. He need not drive, it was only a mile away. He kissed his fiancé, grabbed a light jacket, and trudged out the door, still somewhat tired from carrying the bags. As he walked, Fox noticed how much he had matured over the last few years. He was responsible for not only keeping a roof over Krystal's head, but now Falco and Katt's, as Falco was going through a tough time, and he needed Fox's support. Falco refused to tell Fox what was wrong, but his stuggle was genuine, as Falco could be heard tossing and turning in the night, at times where there had normally been a loud snoring noise.

Fox arrived where he was going, and opened the old rusted gate, revealing the field that he had come to know as his father's new home. Walking slower, with more care, Fox moved towards the final resting place of James McCloud. It had been over a decade now, and while a twang of pain went through Fox's body, he was able to control these feelings, and sit there, softly rocking back and forth, thinking of the better, easier times in his life.

After some time had passed, Fox looked to the sky and saw the sun was near setting. He was confused as to why time passed to quickly for him now. Fox decided not to go home, but to go to a local tavern where he knew Falco would be right now. He had to get his comrade to sober up a bit, because deep in his mind Fox knew he couldn't support the bird forever, and the time when Fox would have to make the difficult decision of what to do with him was fast approaching. He wanted Falco to leave on Falco's terms, not Fox's.

He stepped into the bar and looked around. It was not a den of thieves, Fox wouldn't allow Falco to consult with those he considered his enemies. Falco was in a corner, at his usual spot, propped into a chair. There were several bottles of Jack Daniels strew across the table in front of him. Fox took the seat adjacent to Falco, who, upon closer examination, had dozed off. Fox tapped him gently on the shoulder, causing nothing. A waitress came over.

"You know this guy?" She asked Fox.

"Yes, unfortunately." He replied.

"Well, if you need anything, you holler at me."

" Bring me Sam Adams, thanks." Fox said, as he knew he would be here a while.

Half an hour passed, with Falco still out cold in his chair. Fox decided he had waited long enough, and while he had tried to be courteous and let him sleep, this was over now. He smacked the bird on the forehead, causing Falco to sputter a bit and look around, confused. He began to ready himself for combat, but Fox but a hand on his shoulder and pushed him down. Falco looked at Fox, and asked,

"What're ya doin here? I didn't even know you drinked?" He was completely destroyed.

"Look at yourself, man. What is this?" Fox said, disappointed.

"I honestmely don' even know…." Fox smacked him again. "Hey! Stop that ya fuckin' orange bastard….." Falco said.

"Yeah, the orange bastard who's putting a roof over you and your fantasy girl. Get a grip man."

" Hey! I love her, don't you be talking about her like that!" Falco was angry now.

"Well if you love her, why don't you put the fucking glass down once in a while and grow up! You're 34, Falco! You gotta settle down sometime!" Fox was growing frustrated as well. Falco stood up, bottle in hand.

"I don't fucking need you! I don't need any of you motherfuckers! All I need is this here bottle and some time to piss into the wind without my life being barged into by you!" Falco took a lazy swing at Fox, which was easily dodged, causing Falco to fall over on the floor.

"Look at you, man. Get up." Fox said, extending his hand to the drunkard.

Falco took it, pulling himself together a bit, and said,

"Let's get outta here." He said, propping himself up on Fox's shoulder, moving towards the door.


	2. Decisions, Decisions

Falco was a sad sight, leaning on his friend, being escorted home. Fox occasionally sent glances of frustration and disgust at his friend, ashamed that he now had to lead Falco two blocks down the road. Falco stumbled and fell three times, on the third time just lying there, not attempting to get up. He stared up at the vulpine, and then averted his gaze away from his emerald stare.

"Stop lookin' at me like that man, I know I fucked up, but just drop it!" Falco said, angry. Fox just continued to stare, and then picked the sorry drunk up and dragged him the rest of the way home.

" I have to make you leave eventually, you know!" Fox was yelling as he entered the house.

"Well if you don't want me here, then why the fuck would I wanna stay here!?" They were in a heated argument, almost as bad as their fight that caused Falco to leave the team before the mission on Dinosaur Planet.

" You'd wanna stay here because you have nowhere to go! I'm trying to find you someplace to call your own, and this is how you repay me? By shitting all your money away on some crappy whiskey?"

"I don't have anything else to spend it on! I'm broke, man! Fucking broke! I have nothing but you and Katt! Nothing but people who feel sorry for me!" Falco was near tears now, a rare sight.

"Look…." Fox was attempting to be more sentimental," ….you and Katt have to leave soon. I can't support two more people for much longer."

"Then I'm leaving." He said, and stormed into his room.

"Ah…shit." Fox mumbled, following him. Their fight had cause the girls to wake up, and Falco was busy ordering Katt to begin packing.

"Falco, you don't have to do this! Not yet! You're not ready to take the world on by yourself!" Fox was trying his best, but Falco ignored him, filling a small duffel bag with his few material belongings. Katt was already packed as well. She was crying. Falco took her by the hand, and led her out the door.

"Falco! Wait!" Fox yelled after them.

"Fuck you Fox McCloud! I'm not staying somewhere I'm not wanted!" That was the last thing Fox heard when Falco rounded the corner. He went looking for them, after informing Krystal what had happened. They were nowhere in sight. Tired from the night's happening, Fox told himself that he desperately needed to sleep. He called General Pepper before heading to bed. He told the dog what happened.

"I'll have the military police keep an eye out for him. If we learn of his whereabouts, you'll be informed immediately." Pepper said.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it." Fox said, and hung up. It was a bit rude, but he was still steamed at himself for letting the stubborn Ace Pilot leave without putting up a fight. He slid into bed, and noticed Krystal was still awake.

"He'll come around. He's already regretting his decision somewhat." She said, using her telepathic powers to read Falco's mind.

"No, Falco's too stubborn for that. It'll be some time before he comes crawling back to us."

"Do you think he'll be at the wedding?" Fox could tell she was eager for their special day.

"Unfortunately, I don't. In fact, I think he wouldn't even remember." Fox was sad.

"It'll all work out in the end. I can feel it," Krystal said. Fox kissed her on the forehead, and held her close to him through the night.

Fox and Krystal had chosen to honor the long standing tradition in the McCloud family of the bride and groom separating a week before the wedding, in order to build up anticipation for the wedding day. Krystal had gone to Sauria, she decided she needed a week with nature, to re-discover her Cerinian roots. Fox informed Tricky, King of the EarthWalkers and his old friend, that Krystal would be coming. Tricky set her up in a fine apartment, free of charge. It was the least the dinosaur could do for Fox.

Fox wasn't exactly sure how to spend his week. A bachelor party was almost out of the question, as Fox wasn't one for partying anyways, and the one person who would've bothered to organize it had cursed his very name. He couldn't finally spend time with Krystal, and he couldn't go to Sauria. Suddenly, he had an idea. Fox got into his car and headed towards the Cornerian Military Warehouses and Storage Facility.

Fiddling with the keycard in his pocket, Fox looked at the large, steel door that sat in front of him. It hadn't been opened in over 5 years now, and Fox wondered why he hadn't come here sooner. He slid the card down the crevice in the console, causing it to light up. He entered the passcode, 1-9-5-6. Almost instantly, the old entrance began creaking back to life, and the gate moved its way into the ceiling above. Fox walked into the garage, one hand on his hip. He surveyed the beast that stood in front of him, a lumbering, five ton hunk of metal. The Arwing 1. Fox pulled himself into the agape cockpit. It was old, certainly, but still functional. Fox noticed that not much about the basic instruments had been changed in the newer models of the reliable interceptor. There was, however, a drastically reduced amount of communication and weapons systems, and the pilot was basically left to his singular cannon and headset. Fox didn't mind, as this was a civilian flight, and weapons systems would be turned off for the duration of it, unless they were needed for defense.

Fox eased the accelerator strip forward. His skill in flight had never diminished with age; it had only slowly improved over the years. Now in the air above Corneria, Fox hooked up his communication systems. He attempted to contact Falco, but there was not response from him, as Fox had suspected. He set up a Universal Communications Link to Slippy, who was happy to talk. Slippy was shocked to see Fox in the air again, and in an Arwing 1 nonetheless. He knew Fox had always preferred the lighter, more armed Arwing 3, but those were still in the Great Fox's custody, and couldn't be removed privately.

It was then that Fox had noticed a media drone tailing him, the annoying robots that had made his so called "retirement" a living hell at times. When he first disbanded Star Fox, the drones followed him everywhere, and he was even almost caught making love to Krystal once. He turned red thinking about that again. Pushing the thought aside, he decided to play a game with the little drone. Immediately, Fox pointed the nose of his craft upwards, then looping back towards the ground. Feet above the fields on the city's outskirts, Fox pulled up, rolling his Arwing to the side. He was amazed at how much more fluid the Arwing 1 controlled than the Arwing 3. He deduced that this was due to the lighter load of the craft. The drone was still behind him. Fox was determined to lose the little thing. He braked, stopping in midair, and then slammed on the accelerator strip, leaving the little drone, which had stopped to begin hovering, in the dust. Fox switched the afterburners on, and felt his body press into the leathery seat of the Arwing. He was used to this pressure, but other trainees often felt pain when entering such velocities.

After losing the drone, Fox began to head back to the city. This flight was good for him; it reminded him of all the times that Arwing had saved his hide. He gently taxied into the garage, and leapt out of the craft, landing as though he had dropped from the thing at high speeds. He laughed, remembering all the times he had pulled that very maneuver, scaring the living daylights out of those beneath the ship. He closed the old steel door behind him, and walked to his car.

Once home, Fox turned on the T.V. On it was a breaking news report. The sub title on the screen read "Star Fox Returns?"

"I guess the drone got a good enough look at me," he chuckled. The reporters began to go on and on about what this meant, not knowing that it was just a flight for Fox's own enjoyment. Fox had always enjoyed pranks, and messing with people. It was in his nature, as he was one of nature's slyest animals.

As Fox fell into his bed later that night, he thought about Krystal; he missed her greatly, even though they'd only been apart from each other for a day or two. It had taken him until now to realize how much he needed the blue vixen in his life. What would have happened had he not met her? Would he still be the Star Fox leader today? Although these thoughts didn't pertain to the future or the present, Fox decided to play with the idea. If Krystal wasn't here, Fox certainly would be flying today. But then again, he liked his new life with Krystal. But he also liked his old life. Had he made the right choices? There was no possible way that Krystal had a negative effect on Fox, but he admitted that he did miss the feeling of phaser shots pinging off his Arwing as he rolled them off. Maybe it was time for him to move on, to leave his old life behind him. That was what he decided as his body drifted into a deep and comfortable sleep.


	3. The Wedding

Fox was nervous. Well, why shouldn't he be? He was giving his life away today. Taking Krystal's hand in marriage was a serious matter. He was beginning to act like he did when he was fighting the Aparoids; sporatic and to the point. Currently, he was frantically running around, looking for Falco, who was supposed to be his best man. He knew he wouldn't show. Fox ran out to the balcony, looking for any sign of him. Nailed into a column that held up the balcony was a piece of paper. Fox ripped it off and read the words scrawled onto it.

_Have fun, asshole._

_-Falco_

So much for that. He would have to do without him. Fox hadn't seen Krystal all week, and that's who was truly on his mind anyways. He always wondered which culture she favored more: Cerinian or Cornerian. Something told Fox she would most likely wear a Cerinian dress, as she was more comfortable in that style and it felt natural to her. Fox chose to wear a straight, black and white tuxedo. He was a bit more old fashioned than his fiancé. He reminded himself to stop referring her as his fiancé, she was his wife now.

Fox felt a bit empty, knowing that his best friend for a good chunk of his life wasn't there for him. He supposed it was understandable; Falco was very quick to anger. He agreed with Krystal, and he figured it was only a matter of time before Falco came around. Still, there was a certain way he wrote the letter, as if Falco had something up his sleeve. Fox chose to wait it out, and if Falco didn't show, Fox would go up the aisle alone, as he had been for most of his adult life.

Fox stood in front of the people gathered, looking at all those who had come. The media was in the back, clawing at the door. Fox didn't want them here. He didn't need any added pressure. Slippy was there, with his girlfriend Amanda. A nice enough girl. Katt was there, but no Falco. Fox needed to talk to her at some point. Tricky had flown in, and was standing near the back. He looked out of place, a dinosaur roaming through civilization. Fox knew Krystal had been on his flight. General Pepper was there, with two guards stationed near the doors. A few members of the high class sat in the middle rows, chatting endlessly to each other. Oddly enough, Wolf's lieutenant was there, who had renounced the lifestyle of organized crime in favor of a more noble job. Fox insisted a plaque be placed at the back, with pictures of those deceased, people important to Fox and Krystal. Krystal's parents were on it, with a picture of the old planet Cerinia. Fox's father and mother, too were given a spot on the plaque. Peppy was on it as well, along with Beltino Toad, Wolf- to most of the congregations disgust- Fara, and Krystal's grandmother. Inscribed on the top was Cerinian script, which said, "To those in another place."

The ceremony had started. It was not a religious marriage, as Fox was not a faithful man, being a mercenary and all, and Krystal's religion denounced communal worship. Fox stood in the front of the crowd, his palms sweating. Krystal was walking down the aisle. She was beautiful, truly. She wore a white dress, trimmed in gold, as was the Cerinian fashion. Her eyes were adorned with emeralds; another Cerinian tradition. Fox couldn't look away from her. He heard Slippy giggling happily to himself, knowing what his old friend was thinking. Krystal looked at Fox, then at the ground, and then to the person bringing her up the aisle. Fox hadn't even noticed; he was so mesmerized by his wife's appearance. Holding gently onto the vixen's arm was a blue falcon, smiling sheepishly at Fox. Krystal looked at Fox and smiled, sending him a message telepathically, saying,

I told you he'd come around." Thoughts of paranoia ran through Fox's little head. Was he here to ruin the wedding? He would never be able to forgive him if that was his intention. Krystal again channeled into Fox's thoughts,

"He's sincerely sorry. Don't be angry, just let it happen."

Fox looked again to Krystal, still unable to conceive that even SHE could look so perfect. She was always the most gorgeous woman in the world to Fox, but this…this was like something out of a dream.

"Do you take this woman to be your wife?"

"I do." Fox replied, smiling.

"And do you, Krystal, take this man to be your husband?"

"I do." She looked at Fox, smiling as well.

"Then I pronounce you husband and wife." There was clapping within the congregation.

"You may kiss the bride."

And so Fox did, and it was the most magical moment in his entire lifetime. There really wasn't any way to describe it, at least within the English language there wasn't. Fox's raging thoughts were centered entirely on Krystal for that moment. There she was, in his head, passing through many years in seconds. At one point, she was holding a child. Then another. Fox wondered what these signs meant. Krystal's face changed, she began to show signs of aging. Then, she vanished, leaving nothing but a cold and whispering wind in his head. Fox opened his eyes, and pulled away from her, the two of them looking to the crowd, now in a standing ovation. They were holding hands, smiling, knowing that now their true life could begin.

The reception party had begun, and Fox wouldn't even leave Krystal's side. He enjoyed having her near him, and had missed her the whole week. Fox knew there were some people he needed to talk to personally, but this was his and Krystal's day, he saw to it that she was his ultimate priority. He catered to her every whim, knowing that she had waited her entire life for this. She appeared to be enjoying herself.

"I need to talk to Falco." Fox whispered into her ear, and drifted among the partygoers.

Fox found the bird where he had expected; at the bar, swallowing whiskey by the bottle.

"So, you're back?" Fox asked.

"I couldn't miss this, no matter how mad I was at you. Correction, how mad I AM at you."

Fox tensed up a bit. This was all a bit immature.

"Where are you and Katt staying?"

"I got an apartment. It's a shithole, but it's MY shithole. Remember when you told me I wasn't ready for the world?" Falco said, smirking, knowing that proving Fox wrong was going to drive him up the wall. Fox grinned a defeated grin back, and said,

"Perhaps I was wrong. I'm guessing you won't be needing me anymore?" Fox said, a bit pained.

"Fox, you're my brother, man. I'm pissed at you, but families have fights sometimes. We'll work it out. Just not today. The time will come," Falco said, smiling. After this, he turned back to his whiskey, and refused to discuss the matter any further.

Fox walked back to Krystal, who was currently talking with a few guests. After she was finished, she went to Fox, asking,

"I'm sensing it went well?"

"Very. He's not totally ready to forgive me, but….it'll come in due time."

"Yet another thing that's gone right today. I swear you're a miracle worker, Mr. McCloud." She said, chuckling.

"Only when I have to be, Mrs. McCloud."

"Fox! Congratulations! To both of you!" It was General Pepper, who now was reaching for Fox's hand. Pepper gave a slight nod to Krystal. Fox took Pepper's hand and said,

"Many thanks, Pepper."

"I need to talk to you. It can wait, if you want me to give you a little time." Pepper didn't make it sound like this was something that could wait.

"Sure, anytime!" Fox began to follow the hound, then turned back to Krystal.

"This shouldn't be long." He said, walking at a brisk pace to catch up to Pepper.


	4. Philosophy, Sex, and Debauchery

**Hey, just a quick update on the future of this fic. The story's received a lot more positive feedback than I had anticipated, so I plan to continue updating regularly until it's finished. Anyways, back to the story….**

Fox and Pepper squeezed their way through the crowd at the party. Fox didn't like the urgency in Pepper's voice; it sounded as though he needed something, and knew Fox was not going to enjoy being asked such a favor. Pepper led the vulpine out onto the balcony where Fox had found Falco's letter.

"Fox, I need to ask a favor of you."

"I guessed as much….What is it you need?" Fox said, a bit uneasy.

"I need you to assassinate someone, and he's here at this party right now."

Fox was a bit stunned, but thought about the dog's request.

"Who is it and why do they deserve to die?" Fox asked. At this moment he was very much against killing someone at his own wedding reception.

"Wolf's lieutenant, remember? He was at the ceremony?"

"Pepper, you and I both know he's not a criminal. Not anymore at least. I'm not about to go killing someone I know hasn't done anything wrong in years." Fox was moving back towards the party. Pepper laid a hand on Fox's shoulder, pulling gently.

"We have intel that he's planning something. He needs to die."

"I'm not going to do this. The intel could be wrong, and it's my wedding day. Get someone else to do it if it has to be done." With that, Fox walked back into the reception hall, making his way back towards Krystal.

"May God have mercy on us…," the old general mumbled as he slowly followed. Pepper knew that intel wasn't false. He also knew Fox would never kill him. It was worth a shot. Pepper wasn't mad, nor was he disappointed. He returned to the bar, and stayed there for the duration of the night.

It was midnight, and the party had begun to die down. Some people had already left; others were getting ready to leave. Fox hadn't told Krystal what Pepper wanted, which worried the vixen.

"What was it that Pepper wanted?" The couple was currently sitting on a couch in the lounge of the reception hall.

"Oh, it was nothing," Fox lied.

"Bullshit."

"Okay," Fox leaned in and whispered into her ear so nobody could hear him. "He wanted me to kill Wolf's lieutenant. Right here, right now."

"What the fuck is wrong with him? It's our wedding day! At our own party?"

"Yeah, I thought it was pretty fucked up too." Fox said, and the discussion on the matter ceased between the two.

The reception had ended, and Fox and Krystal were in the honeymoon suite in a hotel near the Cornerian Interplanetary Spaceport. Tomorrow the two of them would be leaving for Zoness for a three week honeymoon vacation there. Krystal had expressed a deep desire to spend time on the tropical planet, as she said it was the most similar planet to Cerinia that still existed. Fox had just come out of the bathroom, and there lay Krystal, in a very….intriguing position. She was in her underwear-as was Fox- and was lying on her side, with one hand on her hip and the other propped underneath her head. She looked up innocently at Fox, who was smiling, as well as slowly advancing towards the bed. Taking in his surroundings, Fox could see two glasses of wine, one red, and one white, sitting on the nightstand. The air smelled faintly of lilac, and jazz music was softly playing in the background. Fox took the two glasses and passed the glass of white wine to Krystal.

"I'm glad to see my husband knows what I like to drink," she said, taking a small sip from the glass.

"I think I know what else you want, too," he said, placing his hand on her thigh.

"Oh, you know me too well."

"Indeed I do," he said, taking the glass from her hand and placing it gently on the nightstand again. Then, he positioned himself on top of her, slowly bringing his lips to hers. Fox moved his tail towards the lamp on the nightstand and flipped its switch, causing the room to go dark.

"Oh, you're good," he heard Krystal whisper. "Show me how resourceful you can REALLY be."

Fox awoke early in the morning, as he always had. His strict discipline had attributed to that. Krystal lay there, naked, with her head on Fox's chest, which was rising and falling softly. Fox, too, was naked, and was content with laying there and watching Krystal sleep. He watched as her tail sent ripples through the sheets, swaying softly under the thin blanket. Fox decided not to disturb her, although he wanted to get up and leave her to her sleep. It didn't seem normal for Fox to stay idle in bed for more than ten minutes after waking up. He stirred himself a bit, causing Krystal to move her head off his sternum and onto the pillow above her head. Fox took her arm from around his neck and placed it in a natural position.

Fox stood up from the bed and walked out to the balcony, which gave a perfect overview of the Spaceport. Below him were hundreds of ships, small and large, fast and slow.

"My Arwing could've outrun all of those." He mumbled to himself. Fox still wasn't ready for family life, and though he could adjust, his fingers itched for the controls of an Arwing. Krystal was purring back to awareness, moving underneath the covers behind Fox. She walked over to him, still naked, and hugged him around the neck, kissing him on the cheek. She could sense that he was in deep thought.

"What's the matter?" She asked, somewhat seductively. It wasn't normal for Krystal, but when she was riled up, a fun time was going to be had.

"I….I don't know if I'm ready." Fox said, defeated and tired.

"Ready for what?" Now Krystal had calmed down, and seemed to be genuinely concerned for Fox.

"This. I don't know if I'm ready to be a husband." He looked in her indigo eyes. "Look, I love you and care for you more than I've cared about anything that has ever existed in this universe. I feel as though there may be some growing pains to this new life of ours, and I want you to promise me that you'll stick through it with me, because I can't get through this without you." He was taking her hand now. "I'm going to fuck up. I can feel it. I don't know how badly, but I'll fuck up somewhere. I need you to be my ally when that happens."

"Fox, I'll always be at your side, no matter what you do or how badly you screw things up. I know you're trying, and that all this is very strange and foreign to you. I love you. Don't worry anymore." Fox hugged her tightly for a few moments, then pulled away, taking her hand and moving back towards the indoors. Suddenly, she threw him onto the bed, and sat up on top of him. Apparently she was still "excited."

"Now, time for round two! DING DING! Fight!" She exclaimed, pressing her lips strongly against his. Fox knew that the sex that was coming was going to be of the style Krystal had always enjoyed more: rough and quick. Fox let it happen, as he secretly enjoyed their sexual experiences very much, maybe even more than Krystal did. He closed his eyes and waited, letting Krystal do whatever she wanted to him….

The flight to Zoness was dull, as most commercial flights are, save for a few sights of distant planets like Fichina and Aquas. Once they landed, Krystal and Fox moved into yet another honeymoon suite, although the view from this room's balcony was of the deep blue oceans of the vacation planet. Fox knew what lay ahead of him; three weeks of intense thought, rousing sex, and partying, as well as seeing the pristine sights that lay within the Zonesian jungles. These were Fox's last thoughts as he drifted into sleep, with Krystal again resting her head on his chest.


	5. Letting Go

Krystal had sensed Fox's dreams that night, and the two agreed that Fox should begin their honeymoon in solitude, in order to think out the role that he was about to accept in life. Fox got dressed lightly, reminiscent of the way he used to dress when he trained on the Great Fox. He wore a white tank top and green cargo pants. It wasn't exactly suiting for a tourist, but perfect for a free-runner.

The hotel was nestled on the center of an island. Surrounding the hotel was a large rainforest, in which many activities were hosted by the hotel staff. Fox wasn't interested in those; he was interested in finding a quiet place above the noise of the resort. Fox walked deeper into the rainforest for about 10 minutes. Seeing a large tree in front of him, he dug his foot into a hole in the trunk and began to climb up the massive statue nature itself had created. The climb was not difficult, as Fox had practiced climbing and free-running for many hours.

Noticing a split in the trunk of the tree near the top, Fox gracefully moved his body up the tree until he finally settled himself down in the split in the trunk. Looking out over the horizon, Fox could see the large, green blanket of leaves that shaded the entire rainforest. He wasn't on the tallest tree; he could see one slightly taller than his a short distance to his right. A few miles away, the ocean could be seen. Underneath him, thousands of insects were buzzing around, creating a low humming noise that soothed Fox's senses and caused him to relax.

Fox began to do a meditation exercise he had read about some time ago, when he was suffering from PTSD. The object was to center your thoughts on something difficult to understand; this could be done by relaying everything a person knew was one hundred percent truth. Eventually, your thoughts would hone in on the problem you were trying to address.

_My name is Fox McCloud. I am thirty two years old. I have found the person I will love for the rest of my life. Her name is Krystal McCloud. Krystal is my wife. I am afraid of losing her. I am confused by the role I must take in life to be a successful husband and father._

Fox took deep breaths as he said each sentence, and he could feel himself reaching the beginning of the end. His sentences began to form into questions.

_What must I do? My old life was much easier. It was less emotional, more physical and mental. I made decisions based on the best possible outcome. Perhaps that is what I must do here? But here I am not a leader. The leadership is shared. _

Fox opened his eyes for a moment. It was clear some time had passed since they had last been opened. It was about mid-day now.

_What DOES it take to be a good husband? I haven't messed up. Not yet, at least. It has been such a short time, not even a week. For the first time in my life, this is something I'm highly unexperienced at. When I first joined Star Fox, I knew how to fly and not get my entire team killed, but this….I just have no clue. Perhaps I must handle each problem as it comes to me. No, that cannot be right, because every problem in my life that I wasn't prepared for I botched, causing destruction to those around me. Those I loved. Like dad. _

A single tear came down his eye. Fox knew that James McCloud's death was entirely his fault. He rarely admitted this, and not a single sentient being in existence knew this truth. That was one of the few things Fox ever lied about.

_But how does one prepare to be a husband? Here lies my issue. It's not that I am uncomfortable with becoming a husband, but that there is no possible way for me to prepare for the worst. I've done all that I can. I know Krystal will stand by me. I know that. But for some reason, I feel like I am travelling this journey alone. But what would happen should the worst fall upon me before I am not ready? Maybe it's something wrong with my character. Maybe a trait I have is causing me to worry. Is something inside of me not allowing me to change myself? _

Fox could feel the sun setting without opening his eyes. He was still clinging to the tree, propped up above the canopy of leaves. He decided it was time to leave. He still had some time to sort things out. Swinging his body down the trunk of the massive plant, Fox carefully moved towards the dark and muddy ground below him. When he reached the bottom, he jogged back to the hotel, as he wanted to tell Krystal about what he had thought about throughout the day.

"I think it's something wrong with who I am, not what I want to become," Fox said as he walked into the suite.

"What do you mean?" Krystal asked.

"I think something happened in my life that renders me incapable to make the change necessary to become a husband and father." Krystal pondered this thought, pacing back and forth for a few moments.

"I think you're onto something," she said as she looked up at Fox, surprised. "Don't be angry with me, but I listened in a bit," she said, tapping her head.

"What did you 'hear?'"

Ignoring his question, Krystal continued, "I think you're paranoid about losing me to anything. Like you lost your father." Fox became visibly angry.

"You shouldn't have listened! That wasn't for you to hear!"

"Fox. It's not your fault." Fox was shaking, his hands balled into fists.

"AHH! FUCK!" he said, slamming his hands against the wall.

"It's not your fault, Fox." Fox was beginning to cry now. He hated doing that in front of Krystal.

"It's all my fucking fault! If I wasn't such a failure, he'd be here! Walking and breathing and loving still! But my sorry ass is here! I fucked up! I killed him!"

"You made a call. The odds were against you and you got as many people out as you could. Don't do this to yourself," she said, putting her hand underneath his chin, and pulling his face up to meet hers. "You're not a failure. Don't let his death be in vain. Be the image of him. Become your father. Let him live on in you." Fox was a wreck, and moved slowly towards a chair in the corner of the room. Sitting down, Fox placed his face in his hands.

"I'll never be him." He said through them.

"You'll never be him," Krystal said, causing Fox to look up at her, puzzled. "You'll be better."

Fox allowed a small smile to cross his face. He wasn't ready, not yet at least. But at least now he knew what he had to do. He had to let go of his fears. They were holding him back from having a mature love with Krystal. He certainly wanted to, that much was clear. He was just afraid of entering into a relationship like the one he had with his father; he didn't want to feel the pain of death and grief again.

"Thank you, Krystal. I know what I have to do."

"Then do it. I'll be here the whole way."

With that, Krystal and Fox went to bed.

Before going to sleep, Fox forced himself to think of his father. He knew that this night would not be an easy one. He was determined to let go of the pain he still felt from all those years ago.

Fox dreamed vividly that night. Appearing before him was James McCloud, sitting in the cockpit of an Arwing. Fox stared into the aviator sunglasses that sat in front of his eyes. He remembered their every detail, and they were just as he remembered them. James whispered something inaudible; Fox didn't hear what he said. He kept chanting this, and grew louder as he continued.

"Le..o"

"Let…o"

"Let go."

"LET GO!"

And Fox awoke, sweating and screaming.


	6. Poor Leaders Make for Poor Followers

The rest of Krystal and Fox's honeymoon had been a blast. Fox and Krystal spent the entirety of the three weeks together, and wouldn't leave each other's sight. They weren't really used to being alone together, since in Corneria they had to share a house with Falco and Katt, and when they were out in public they were often bombarded by fans. It was a good change of pace for the newly married couple.

Currently, Fox and Krystal were in a small spaceport by the hotel they had stayed at. Krystal was as giddy as a kid in a candy store; she was eager to tell her friends on Corneria about how much fun she had had. Fox, however, was a tad uneasy. He hadn't received word from Corneria for the entirety of the vacation. He expected to at least get some sort of congratulatory message, but nothing had come. He feared something might be wrong on his home planet.

The flight was once again dull; Krystal slept most of the duration of it. Fox didn't, since he was still haunted each night by visions of his father. He didn't like sleeping as of late. Fox was trying to let go of his grief, but it would be turn out to be a long, strenuous task, and Fox decided it would be best if he tackled the challenge as such. Fox looked out the small windows of the spacecraft. Fox had either been on the surface or fought above each planet they passed. He didn't really pay attention to where he was when he was as a mercenary; he only paid attention to the mission at hand. But now, in his "retirement," he noticed that he was a seasoned traveler, and knew the topography of each of the Lylat system's planets quite well.

In the far distance, Fox could see Corneria, with its white clouds and blue oceans. He always relished the sight of home, as it was one he didn't see much as a pilot. But it was at that moment that Fox realized his fears were truth. Something wasn't right. In fact, something was horribly wrong. Fox could see two, large, dreadnought class Cornerian ships patrolling the planet. This wasn't normal. Small specks-which Fox assumed to be Cornerian fighters-, were buzzing around the planet. There were thousands of them.

Fox shook Krystal lightly to wake her. When she awoke, she looked at Fox, and, noticing his expression, turned serious.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Look." Fox said, sliding over slightly so that Krystal could see out the window. It was clear to the couple that most of the other people on the spacecraft had no idea that something was amiss. Why should they? Not many people travel through space often, and they certainly wouldn't know the difference between a normal and extreme amount of patrol ships.

"Oh no…." Krystal said, in disbelief.

It took longer than expected for the spacecraft to find a gap in the patrols for large enough to enter the planet's atmosphere. Flying over Corneria, Fox was left with his jaw dropped, staring in horror at what lay before him.

Three of Corneria City's biggest skyscrapers had fallen, bringing down with them hundreds of other buildings, fire, and smoke. Emergency vehicles were still scrambling around on the surface; no doubt trying to make sense of the tragedy. In a few short minutes, the spacecraft had landed and passengers were flowing out of it, with Krystal and Fox amongst the crowd.

" I have to see General Pepper. Go to the house. Keep a gun on you. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to find out." Fox said, placing his hands on Krystal's shoulders.

"Be careful, Fox."

" I always am. I love you," he said, kissing her on the cheek, and then jogged towards the street to hail a cab.

Fox was rubbing his hands together, a nervous tick that often showed in times of great stress in his life. Sitting in the back seat of the dingy taxi, Fox could see the dozens of blaring red and blue lights hovering around the site of the destruction. Fox looked up, and tried to see which buildings had fallen. First was the Cornerian Oil Company HQ, and its decimation would no doubt cause the economy to topple. Second was the Cornerian Customs Office. This attack would cripple Corneria's communication as well. Lastly was the Cornerian MegaTower, the largest apartment complex in existence. Thousands, if not millions of people could have died.

Fox arrived at the military offices and briskly walked through the doorway, passing the receptionist without talking to her. He pressed the button on the elevator's number pad labeled G. That floor held all of the military commanders' offices. Fox quickly pulled his Identification Card out of his wallet, sliding it into the front pocket of his jacket, so that his name and photo were clearly visible. He stepped out of the elevator and rounded the corner, with his eyes set on Pepper's office. Fox looked at Pepper's personal receptionist and pointed to his ID card.

"General Pepper, Fox McCloud is here to see you," she said, opening the door to let Fox in.

"General, what happened?" Fox asked. He was not panicking, as he was actually used to seeing disaster. However, this didn't mean Fox wasn't affected by them; he was just adept at handling them.

"Ah, Fox. Glad to see you."

"What do you mean glad to see me? Corneria is burning!"

"I'm glad to see you're oblivious to what you've created," he said, pointing his body towards the wreckage. "Wolf's lieutenant bombed all three buildings 17 hours ago."

Fox couldn't believe it. He _caused_ this. He killed millions of innocent people, just because he didn't kill one criminal. Because he was selfish. Fox went into a rage, pinning the old hound against the window by the neck. He calmed down a bit, and let the General go. He didn't want to be shot for treason before he could fix this.

"Where is Falco?" Fox asked.

"He was in the MegaTower. He and Katt both made it out, and they are fine. The other million civilians, though, aren't as fortunate."

"I didn't ask what happened, I asked where he is." Fox said. Pepper was angry. He was staring at the man who had selfishly caused the death of over a million of the people he had spent his life protecting.

"He's at the docks, prepping an Arwing for combat. Perhaps a traitorous whelp like yourself should go and do the same."

"I believe I will. Good day, General." Fox said, his face contorted by his emotions.

"Fox," Pepper said, behind him. "I'm sorry I ever got you mixed up in this." Fox turned and faced him.

"I am too."

Falco was down by the docks, and was currently loading himself up with ammunition and combat armor. Fox drove up, wearing black aviators in memory of his father. The vulpine moved towards the falcon, and began strapping various handguns to his hip. Falco didn't pay a great amount of attention to Fox; this was routine for the two of them.

"Where is he? What are we going against?" Fox asked, not looking at Falco.

"The intel I've gathered says he's building an army at Sargasso," Falco replied, paused, and looked up at Fox. "I thought you were retired," he chuckled.

"I did too. But that doesn't mean I'm not ready for this."

"Then let's do it."

Fox and Falco took off, moving through space at lightning speeds. Falco's face appeared on Fox's comms reader.

"Fox, here's the plan," the bird said as he sent a map of Sargasso Hideout to Fox's Intel reader. "Here is the target's office." A red X appeared on the screen. "We're going to be approaching from the West side, over here." An arrow appeared, showing the attack route. "I'm gonna hit the docks, and hard. I think it'd be best for you to go on foot from there, since my aim with anything but laser cannons is shit."

"This is one of those rare moments where I agree with your plan entirely." Falco was offended at first, but then remembered that his plans usually weren't the ones being explained at briefing. He shrugged off the comment.

"Fox, when I blow up those docks, you need to move fast. I suggest you enter through the barracks, right here," he said, throwing a green X onto the screen on the East side of the fort. "The docks will provide the perfect distraction."

"Damn man, you're turning into ROB." Fox joked again.

The attack went off without a hitch; pulling off a plan as simple as this one against untrained criminals was a walk in the park for the seasoned mercenaries. Falco flawlessly decimated Sargasso's docks, and Fox infiltrated the complex without detection. Fox was currently making his way towards Wolf's lieutenant's office. Whilst doing this, Fox came to the realization that he didn't even know his enemy's name. It was strange that a Star Wolf member wouldn't flaunt his name like an achievement. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as Fox had previously believed. After all, it is idiotic to be a wanted criminal with a name tied to your deeds.

Fox leaned his body next to the office door, setting himself up to breach the room. He swiveled, turning his body so that he was facing the door. Fox kicked he door in, and ran into the room, rifle up. Wolf's lieutenant was sitting in the seat, with a pistol aimed directly at Fox.

"Congratulations on your wedding, Mr. McCloud," he said, with an evil grin on his face.

"I'll have to return the favor by attending your funeral." Fox could have pulled the trigger long ago, but chose to hear what the young man had to say for himself.

"It's too late Fox. All those people are dead. You can kill me now; it's not going to bring anyone back." Wolf's lieutenant wasn't moving. He sincerely didn't care what happened at this point. Wolf had been avenged.

"What's your name young man?" Fox asked. The kid couldn't have been past 21.

"Matthew Taylor. Now are you going to shoot me or can I lea…"

Fox had pulled the trigger, spilling the terrorist's brains onto the wall behind his chair. Fox walked towards Matthew's desk. On it was an old picture of the Star Wolf team.

"A poor excuse for a role model," Fox said, frowning. Sifting through the drawers, Fox found a few documents that seemed to be of interest and began his short trip back to his Arwing.


	7. It's Not My Fault

Fox sat in the Arwing, silent as a mouse. He was deep in thought, again, and Falco didn't bother him. He knew when Fox was handed a difficult problem, he liked being by himself. Fox thought about Krystal. He was so close to jeopardizing her. If they were in Corneria City when those towers fell….she could've easily been among the millions of casualties.

He could've prevented this. Easily, in fact. A fell swoop of a blade in the dark and Matthew Taylor never would've never been able to single handedly cripple Lylatian Civilization. This disaster was largely Fox's fault.

But why had Pepper asked HIM to assassinate Taylor? He had thousands of soldiers at his command. Certainly he could've just ordered them to kill him. No, something was definitely wrong here. There was no logical reason that Pepper would've asked Fox to do such a thing- on his wedding day, no less- when he had so many killers at his disposal. Sure, Fox was probably the most skilled of them, but a job like that didn't require a highly trained mercenary.

Seeing Corneria, Fox checked his surroundings briefly before beginning the procedure of landing, which would no doubt be elongated due to the enhanced security protocols in place. In the corner of his eye, Fox could see that Falco was not destined to land in Corneria, and was planning to head in another direction. Fox opened a communications link with him.

"Leaving so soon?" Fox asked.

" I took Katt somewhere safer than here. I need to go to her, tell her what's happened." It was clear Falco didn't really want Fox to know his full plans, in short: Falco was still angry with him.

"Alright. Take care of yourself. These are troubling times were living in."

"Yeah, you too. Congratulations on your wedding."

"Thanks man. Take it easy," and with that, Fox flipped off the channel.

It took Fox a full two hours to land, remove his combat gear, and begin the trip home. Fox decided it would be best not to look where the towers used to be; he was overcome with grief, and blamed himself for the disaster. Krystal had done as Fox had asked; the windows were boarded, the door locked, and the lights off. If Fox didn't know, he never would've guessed that anybody had been there for quite some time. Knocking on the door, Fox frowned, his ears flattened against his head. He was tired, despite the large vacation he had just been on. He was already unsure of himself, and this did nothing to help his self-esteem.

Krystal answered the door, with a loaded holster strapped to her hip. She took the gun out and handed it to Fox; he had always been the better shot. Fox didn't think he would need to use it anyways.

"What happened?" Krystal asked.

"Wolf's lieutenant, the man Pepper asked me to kill at our wedding, bombed the buildings about a day ago. Me and Falco took out Sargasso Hideout and killed him." Fox was frowning, visibly shaken up by the tragedy.

"So….this could have been stopped?" she asked.

"Maybe."

"It seems odd that he would ask you do kill him. At the party, I mean."

"That's what I was thinking," Fox said, then paused for a moment. He slumped himself down on the antique couch in the living room. "This is all my fault."

"No, it's Wolf's lieutenant's fault."

"I could've stopped him. It would've been easy. But now all those people are just gone." Fox was beginning to cry, and he buried his head in his hands. Krystal sat down next to him, saying,

"Terror is not the victim's fault; the blame falls on the terrorist," she said, taking a second, and continuing. "You, along with all of Corneria, are the victims here. Don't blame yourself for this, because the blame isn't yours."

Fox walked out of the room, not saying a word to or even looking at Krystal. He shuffled his way into the bedroom, took off his jacket and shirt, and laid down on the bed, sighing to himself. As he stared into the ceiling, Fox could see the horrified faces of thousands of Cornerians, screaming for help, burning and being crushed to pieces. Fox tried-unsuccessfully- to shake these visions from his head. No matter where he looked, the walls were painted with the pained faces of civilians asking "Why? Why?" and then fading into oblivion. Fox began convulsing; shaking due to the tremendous stress he was under. His skin suddenly went cold, and Fox stayed in the bedroom for many hours, shivering as though he was on Fichina. The faces were still there, and Fox didn't know why.

"It's not my fault, it's Taylor's," He repeated to himself, over and over, like a child attempting to learn the alphabet. Eventually, the visions began to fade, leaving Fox on the bed, drowning in a cold puddle of his own sweat. He attempted to stand up, but fell, as his legs were too weak. Fox fell asleep, alone and in the dark.

**Hey guys, just a quick update on why I haven't been posting a lot recently. I've had two big projects going on in school, and track practice every day, so I haven't been able to write much. Christmas break starts today for me, so I'm planning on releasing a lot of chapters over the next two weeks. Thanks for your patience!**


	8. The Antidote

Three weeks had passed since the terrorist attack. Fox had become an insomniac; sleep was impossible with so many nightmares. He was lucky if he got an hour every two days. Krystal was upset, as the tragedy reminded her faintly of how Cerinia fell. She had expressed this to Fox, and he tried to comfort her, but it was no use. Fox's brain was shot, and there didn't seem to be any immediate fix for this.

Fox stood outside of a two-story building, holding a small card in his hand. Looking down at the card, Fox read the words inscribed on it in black ink.

_Maurice Richmond, PhD._

_Specializing in Mental Rehabilitation_

Fox then glanced towards the sign in the window before him. The same words were on it. He was in the right spot. He turned the doorknob and stepped inside. The office was cramped. In front of Fox was a small desk, with an outdated computer and piles of papers stacked on top of it. To his right was a small couch: no doubt that was some sort of waiting area. Directly to his left was a door, to the right of that was another desk topped with similar trimmings to the main one. A short, elderly woman sat hunched over in front of the main desk, not paying attention to Fox, but aware of his presence. She gestured for Fox to sit, and he did. In a short time, the woman had finished her work and looked up at Fox.

"Do you have an appointment today?" she asked.

"No, I hope the doctor's not too busy."

"We don't do walk-ins," she said, but, taking a short look- over of Fox, continued with, "but I guess you really need help. Looks like you haven't slept a wink in days."

"That's because I haven't."

"You can go in and see him; it's the door off to my right."

"Thank you," Fox said, and feebly picked himself up off of the couch and waddled over to the door.

Maurice Richmond was young for a psychiatrist: Fox judged that he was about 39. He was a tall, lanky man, about 6'3'', which is normal for a German Shepard. He had a large head and nose, and currently was standing with his arms folded behind his back, staring out the window. When he heard Fox enter, he turned and faced the door, slightly surprised. He looked at Fox with a hint of disgust, but not disrespectfully. Fox decided he deserved it; he was a bit frazzled-looking at the time.

"Nora didn't inform me about and appointments at this time," he said, walking over towards Fox.

"She told me you don't do walk-ins, and then said I should come in anyways."

"I can see why, you look terrible, if you don't mind me saying."

"I know that. What I don't know is how to fix it," Fox said, stretching his hand out to shake the doctor's.

"Maurice Richmond," the German Shepard said, shaking Fox's hand firmly.

"Fox McCloud, it's a pleasure."

"The pleasure's mine. Please, sit, Mr. McCloud." Fox took the seat on the opposite side of the desk, facing the doctor.

"So," Maurice said, eager to get down to business, "what seems to be the problem?"

"Doctor, I've been through a traumatic experience lately; one I'm not allowing myself to live down. I keep telling myself that it's not my fault, and I truly believe that, but…"

"Slow down, Fox. Tell me what this experience was, calmly and slowly." Fox hesitated for a second. What would others think about him if they knew that he was the one who helped cause the terrorist attack?

"It's okay, Fox, you can tell me. Nothing leaves this room but you." Richmond said. Fox was breathing heavily. He had to say something, he couldn't just sit there like a deer in headlights.

"Well, it really began at my wedding," Fox said, and explained every small detail about the previous weeks to the doctor. He explained that he couldn't sleep, eat, or drink, and he hated talking to people for fear of them bringing up the attack. Fox mentioned Krystal quite a bit in this monologue; the doctor wrote on a small notepad every time Fox did this. About twenty minutes later, when Fox had finished his rant about visions of burning flesh and screams haunting him in the night, Richmond stood up, and walked over to the tiny window behind his desk. He stuck his hand through the blinds and pulled them down, allowing a small beam of morning light to flash into the room, directly on Fox's face. Fox moved his head to the side, as he couldn't see when the light was in his eyes. Richmond sighed, and closed the blinds, still staring at the window. It was clear he wasn't exactly sure of what to do next. Perhaps he had many scenarios going through his head all at once. After about a minute or so of the awkward silence, the doctor averted his gaze from the window and looked towards Fox. As he was sitting down, he said, "Well, you're certainly quite the interesting patient, Mr. McCloud." He ripped two pages off the small notepad and slid them across the desk into Fox's hands. As Fox began to read them, the doctor said, "This is my patient synopsis on you."

The doctor had horrendous handwriting, as most doctors do, but it was legible, and Fox began to soak in the meaning of the words in front of him.

_Patient: Fox McCloud 10:48 A.M. April 14__th _

_-Sporadic_

_-Extremely organized, no repetition in speech_

_-Wife is very important to him IIIIIII_

_-Sees visions of burning people and screaming faces on walls_

_-No doubt a previous sufferer of PTSD_

_-Insomnia_

"Fox, I believe what you're experiencing is actually quite normal, although very traumatic for the individual. I'm guessing you have had PTSD before?" Richmond asked.

"Yes, four times in fact." The doctor seemed fascinated by this, as his eyes widened a bit.

"And you're not in a mental institution? How interesting…." Fox was visibly nervous now. "Don't be afraid, Fox. All you need to do is basically make your subconscious happy again. It's not that difficult."

The doctor again was writing something, and Fox asked, "And how is that possible? I can't be happy when I have the blood of thousands of people on my hands!" Fox was shouting now.

"Shhhh….relax….that's what you need. Spend some time with your wife; she seems to have that effect on you. Also, I'm prescribing a very powerful sleeping pill for you. You can pick it up at any pharmacy. Use two before you go to sleep," and with that, Richmond handed the prescription to Fox and shook his hand, sending him on his way.


	9. Making up for Lost Time

Fox's recovery went well, although slowly. Three months passed before Fox was able to shake the visions and his fears entirely. Krystal was upset, and Fox knew this, as he didn't spend any time with her. He thought that what he needed was for Krystal not to see him when he was weak. It seemed to help, but for all Fox knew, his recovery may have been easier and quicker if he did spend some time with her. Currently, Fox and Krystal were sitting on the couch in the living room.

The room was spacious; James McCloud had been able to spend a great deal of money on his home thanks to his modest fortune which he obtained as a mercenary. A large, ornate fireplace reached for the ceiling on the left hand side of the room. On it's mantle were pictures, some of Fox when he was younger, but mostly of Krystal's new "collection" which she had chosen to place there. Fox didn't mind, since when Krystal was redecorating the house he was still in an unstable condition. He was fine now, though, and that was all that really mattered to her.

Fox turned now and looked at her. She was as beautiful as ever, her cerulean tail softly waving back and forth as a metronome does. He realized how bad the situation had been, and he was truly sorry about the whole ordeal. To be frank, Fox didn't think he really had a say in what had happened over the last four months, and it felt strange for him not to be calling the shots for once in his life. But nevertheless, it was Fox's fault that she was a bit melancholy, and he decided that he had to make it up to her. Fox inched a bit closer to her, and it didn't seem that she had noticed his move. He slipped his arm over her shoulder and she responded, cuddling in close, and resting her head on his chest. Krystal was smiling.

"Quite a strange time to be cuddling," he said, looking down at her. It was the 28th of July.

"I don't mind if you don't," she replied back, then closed her eyes and lay there for a short while.

They stayed this way for fifteen minutes or so, nestled close to each other, receiving the warmth from one another's bodies. "I'm so glad you're back," she said. Fox was taken back a bit by this.

"I never left, though."

"No, not physically anyways. You just weren't…you, I suppose. It didn't seem right to me, sitting in this house, redecorating while someone is in the other room trying to shake the demons out of his head." Fox had forgotten that Krystal's people believed demons were the cause of sickness, despite scientific proof that this is not true.

"I wasn't sick, only confused," Fox said in his defense.

"A confused man does NOT see screaming people." Fox shuddered as she brought up the visions. "It doesn't matter now, all that matters is that you're back to normal."

The conversation paused for a few moments while Fox planned his next move. He moved her head to face his, and held his wife's face in his palms, saying, "I know this time was tough on you, probably as tough as it was on me. I want to make it up to you," Fox said, stroking her hair gently.

"How so?" Krystal was intrigued.

"Go upstairs and get dressed in something nice. Come down in an hour." He said, picked her up, kissed her forehead, and nudged her towards to door.

"Oh, this is going to be rich," she mumbled, closing the living room door behind her, leaving Fox standing in the lavish living room alone, smiling.

The second he heard the door creak shut he sprinted for the basement. He knew exactly what he needed; two chairs, the decorative table, the set of silver candlesticks that had belonged to his mother, an old record, whatever the most expensive bottle of wine down there was, and the three large roman candle fireworks that were stuffed away in the far corners of the dingy storeroom.

After about 15 minutes, Fox and dragged everything upstairs, and had finished setting most of it up already. He was grateful for his discipline; without it he probably would've forgotten something or lost something. What else could he use? Fox pondered this, tapping his booted foot on the wooden floor of the room.

"Shit. Shit!" Fox exclaimed. He hadn't cooked anything. Perhaps a bit of planning was necessary. He dashed for the garage and in another 10 minutes came flying back into the room with two bags of groceries. He set all the groceries down on the table and looked at them. All the components to make Krystal's favorite meal: Chicken and Waffles. "Oh, she is a strange one," Fox said, and quickly began preparing the food.

It had been 45 minutes, and almost everything was set. Fox walked out to the balcony, and leaned over the railing, looking down at the three roman candles that lie in wait. Check. Fox walked into the living room and scanned around, looking at all seven of the candles placed strategically around the place. Check. Fox looked towards the center of the room, in which was placed a small table with two ornate chairs. Two plates of chicken and waffles, as well as a bucket with the bottle of wine in it, sat on the table. Check. Fox snapped his fingers, heard the acoustic guitar come from the speakers around the room, and snapped his fingers again, shutting the music off. Check.

Fox looked down at himself, and, realizing he was a bit under-dressed, started heading upstairs to change. But Krystal was up there; going in now might ruin the surprise.

"No matter," Fox thought, and walked out the front door. The wall leading to his bedroom window was surprisingly easy to climb; Fox enjoyed scaring the life out of Krystal by peering through it from time to time. He did this now, and tapped on the window. Krystal rolled her eyes and opened the window.

"There's a thing called a door, you know," She said, playfully.

"And knowing you, while I was walking through this 'door', you'd probably look out and ruin the surprise for yourself."

"You're probably right." Fox looked at Krystal, dressed in a light, red, Cerinian dress, inlaid with sky blue seaming. His could feel his jaw trying to drop, but he held it up as a sign of respect. He wasn't the childish, horny, schoolboy Fox he used to be. Krystal could sense this, and replied,

"Thanks for the compliment, honey. You look dashing yourself," She said, blatantly mocking his carefully planned outfit of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Do I really? Oh, I was so afraid you weren't going to like it," he replied, changing into a business shirt and jacket. When he was finished, he looked at Krystal again, smiled, took her hand, and said, "Ready?"

"I was ready when you told me to change an hour ago," She said, smirking.

"Okay, close your eyes," Fox commanded, and slowly led her down the stairs and into the living room. He took another quick count in his head, and, realizing everything was indeed in place, said, "Open your eyes."

Krystal opened her eyes, which immediately turned as round as Corneria itself. Her jaw dropped, and she put her hands over her mouth, and she looked at Fox with love. He smiled, and hugged her. The dinner, though a bit absurd, was delicious, and Fox and Krystal had a wonderful time. Fox was glad to see her happy again; he was angry at himself for ignoring her for so long. "Never again," he thought to himself.

"That's not all," Fox said, "Follow me." He motioned towards the balcony, guiding Krystal out there. Fox snapped his fingers, and the music began to play.

_Speak softly love and hold me warm against your heart._

"May I have this dance?" Fox asked. Krystal nodded. She was shaking. Fox loved when he had that effect on her.

_I feel your words, the tender trembling moments start._

_We're in a world, our very own, sharing a love that only few have ever known._

_Wine colored days, warmed by the sun._

_Deep velvet nights, when we are one._

Fox took his hand away from Krystal's waist. If he could pull this off, it would be perfect. He slid his palm quickly into his pocket, trying to make sure Krystal was not aware.

_Speak softly love, so no one hears us but the sky._

_The vows of love we make will live until we die._

_My life is yours, and all because, you came into my world with love so softly love._

Fox dropped the lit match through a tiny hole in the balcony. It fit! Wait for it…

**BOOM! **Right as the instrumental hit, the three roman candles tied down underneath the balcony shot up, spraying colored flames into the air. A beautiful sight. Krystal jumped up, and Fox laughed. It was a cruel joke, but a joke nonetheless. She didn't seem to mind; she would get him back later. Still, both could agree that the fireworks were nice. Colored light flashed onto both of the foxes' faces.

"Wow, she's beautiful," Fox thought to himself. Krystal blushed; Fox knew she was listening in on his thoughts. They kissed there, as the sounds of explosions and violins screamed behind them.


	10. What to Do

Fox's body shifted underneath the covers of the king size bed. He was awake, yes, definitely, he was awake, but he wasn't sure why he was up at 3 in the morning after spending a vast amount of energy not only three hours ago. Fox swiveled and let his feet hang down and touch the floor. He then stood up and wandered groggily into the kitchen. He wasn't much of a midnight snacker, but perhaps that was what he needed. Looking into the refrigerator, Fox could not really see anything he desperately needed to eat, and decided to close the door and walk out to the balcony.

Corneria was mostly dark at this hour, save for the scattered blocks of light from the windows of skyscrapers. Well, the windows of the remaining skyscrapers, anyways. Taylor's attack still weighed heavily on Fox's conscience and, whether he liked it or not, Fox made every decision based around protecting the truth. He didn't want anybody to know that he was the one who helped cause the tragedy. Deep in his mind, Fox knew he would do everything in his power to carry this secret with him to the grave.

Pushing those somber thoughts aside, Fox moved his attention towards Falco.

"What to do, what to do….." he thought out-loud.

Truth be told, Fox wasn't entirely sure why they hadn't talked about it at all. In Fox's eyes, Falco seemed to be overreacting, but, he was doing alright for himself; he wasn't wasted in some gutter every night. Maybe Falco really didn't need Fox. Fox didn't like this. He felt uneasy; his whole life had changed extremely quickly, and though some may say it was for the better, Fox wasn't buying it. Slippy, though annoying at times, was Fox's friend, and was currently almost completely out of touch with him. Falco had basically cursed the ground Fox walked on and ditched him. Peppy was dead; the Star Fox team was done.

Fox again switched his mental topic, this time thinking about himself. Who was he? A war veteran, and a husband, but what else? A father? Possibly, and especially possible after that night's occurrences. Fox hadn't used protection; Krystal didn't want him to. Probably not his best choice ever. What else? What attributes did his personality have? Fox hadn't thought about that in a while. He certainly was giving, since he housed two people in his home purely out of the goodness of his heart. He was shy, also a bit unstable. Not too bad, Fox decided. He was in good shape.

Still, he didn't like the new direction his life had moved in. He enjoyed having time with Krystal; he relished it, even. What he didn't like was what was happening to his relationship with everyone else.

"Honey?" Fox looked back. Krystal was standing in the doorway. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just couldn't sleep, that's all." Krystal walked over and put her arms over his shoulders, hanging over onto his chest. Fox took her hands in his.

"Something's wrong. You're upset." How did she always know?

"I don't like what's happening to the team. I barely even talk to Slippy, and Falco hates me."

"He doesn't hate you, he'll come around soon. I know it. And Slippy is always just a call away. Now, come back to bed," and with that, she slid back through the balcony doors into the warmth of the house.

She seemed sort of blunt. Understandable; it was three in the morning after all. Fox thought about what was next. He had to do something with Falco. That had to come first.

He walked back into the house and moved towards the center of the living room. He stood there for a moment, waiting, although he wasn't sure what for. Nothing came; only the silence of the cold, whispering wind outside. Shuffling back towards the bedroom, Fox realized how good things really were for him. He had a decent fortune, a beautiful wife that he loved dearly, he sort of had friends, although the road was a bit bumpy right now, and he had wisdom, which came from his past experiences.

Krystal was still awake, lying on the bed on top of the covers. Fox lay down, pulling the covers over him lazily. Krystal huddled close to him, placing her hand on his chest.

"Ready for round two?" She asked seductively. Truth be told, Fox was tired.

"Sorry, honey, I'm not in the mood. Sorry." He kissed her quickly on the lips and turned off the lights. She tried for a short while to get him in the mood, to no avail. She became a little pouty when she didn't get what she wanted, but Fox knew she understood, and she seemed contempt with lying there, slowly trying to fondle him into submission. Fox had been asleep for quite a while before Krystal had fallen asleep on top of him.


	11. Old Friend

Fox rounded a corner, walking at a comfortable pace. His eyes were averted down towards the ground, looking at a small tablet. Fox's thumb slid up and down the screen of the tablet, searching for something. A long list of names and numbers was lit up on it's screen.

"C,D,E…." Fox mumbled, working his way towards the bar.

"F…F-A…..Falco. Here it is." He tapped the bird's name, bringing up a picture of Fox's friend, drunk out of his mind.

"Charming." Fox chuckled as he tapped the green button on the screen and turned on his headset.

_Beeeeeeeep. Beeeeeeeep. Beeeeeeeep. _

No answer yet.

_Beeeeeeep. Beeeeeeep. Beeeee…._

"Hello?" Falco asked.

"Hey, it's me." Fox said.

"Oh…uh yeah. What's up?"

" We gotta talk man. Meet me at the bar?"

Falco hesitated for a moment. He was the kind of person to avoid his problems until they blew over. Unfortunately, Fox was not.

"….Sure. I'll see you in a bit." And with that, Falco hung up.

Fox slipped through the bar's door, alleviated by the cool air flowing from the duct above the door. Corneria tended to have mild summers, but this night was warmer than usual. Fox quickly scanned around the room. The bar wasn't packed; Fox didn't expect it to be on a Thursday night. That was one of the main reasons he planned this little get together this night. Not too many eavesdroppers and paparazzi would be out, especially as late as he intended to stay. Fox took a seat at the bar; he knew many of the cities' bartenders personally, as he enjoyed a nice beer or two after a tough workout. He wasn't working out much lately; Fox made a mental note of that.

Fifteen minutes or so passed, and Falco came waltzing through the front door. He noticed Fox was already at the bar, and, slowing his pace, moved towards the bar.

"Hey man, what's going on? You didn't order drinks yet?" Falco asked. Of course, always with the alcohol first.

"No, I didn't. Thought it'd be an 'assault on your manliness' if I ordered for you," Fox laughed weakly. He seemed detached from the situation, when, in reality, he was thinking about what to say next."

Falco chuckled as well and took the seat next to Fox. The bartender came over.

"Alright, McCloud you ready yet?"

"Yeah, I'm ready, John. Let me get a Sam Adams." Fox replied.

"Usual, Lombardi?" The bartender asked.

"You know me all too well," Falco joked. The bartender came over with a glass of Sam Adams, a smaller glass, and a bottle of Jack Daniels. John, the bartender, was a short fellow, only about 5'1'', but stocky. He was charismatic enough to suit Fox's liking, and so this was Fox's usual spot if he wanted to quench his thirst.

"So….What's up?" Falco said, pouring the whiskey into the small glass. Fox finished swigging his beer and put the glass down.

"What are we gonna do man? Is this it?"

"Is what it? I don't catch your drift, bro." Falco said, shifting the glass around in a circle.

"Are we cool or no?" Fox asked. Falco sucked down the entire glass in a few short seconds. He went to refill it, still gathering his thoughts. It seemed clear to Fox that Falco was not very angry with him.

"Yeah. We're cool." Falco said calmly, and chugged down the whole glass once more. That bird sure could drink. The conversation shifted to more comfortable matters. Falco was doing well for himself; he had found a job, an apartment, even some free time to spend with Katt. To Fox, he seemed to finally be slowing his life down, which was a good thing. After a short story about a shopping adventure with Katt, Falco asked,

"How's Krystal? You guys alright all by yourselves up there?"

"Yeah, it's going really well, actually. She's been a bit all over me lately, if you know what I mean." Fox said.

"Lucky bastard. Katt's a stubborn one…but…."

"But what?"

"….I….I think she might be THE stubborn one." Falco was turning a bit red after that last comment. His type usually was not the one that gave cute comments like that.

"Really? Damn, bro….." Fox said, taking another large swig of his beer. Both of them were heavy drinkers, and could last quite a while without seeming intoxicated.

"Yeah." Falco was hiding his face.

"Dude, I'm not gonna judge you, you know that man. You're going through what I went through; follow what you think is right." Falco didn't respond, only downed yet another glass of whiskey.

An hour had passed; Fox was drunk, and Falco was becoming tipsy himself. Currently, the two of them were talking about a party they had been to in college.

"Dude, remember that chick that y-you almost did it with?" Falco asked.

"Huh?" Fox was looking into yet another empty beer glass.

"The Fara chick, remember her?"

"Ohhhhhh….Fox remembers that." Fox talked in the third person when he was hammered. A strange quirk, but it was his, and Fox saw no reason to change it.

"You know, she was in my….uhhh….ahaha….I forgot, who are we talking about?" Falco leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.

"Fox thinks….Slippy?"

"Why didn't we invite him! He's so stupid when he's drunk, always taking his shirt off and stuff. Silly lizard, nobody wants to see that." Falco said.

Fox hiccupped, slumping down onto the bar a bit. He hadn't drunk this much in years, not since he was starting to date Krystal. He used to drink a lot to show off, but it usually ended up in her helping treat his hangovers the next day. If he was sober, Fox probably would have thought about how stupid he was in his youth. But he was FAR from sober.

Falco downed another glass, and exclaimed, "Twenty-se..ix?"

"Fox thinks that right."

"Stop it with that eight ball shit, man, it f-freaks me out." Fox still sat there with his head resting on the bar, smiling warmly, with his eyes closed.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"It's…..I think that's a four, do you remember what a four is?"

"Fox thinks so," Fox said, without even opening his eyes. He was still grinning, letting all the alcohol slowly work away at his brain.

"Shit….Katt's gonna kill me. Eh, f-fuck it. Sorry honey." Falco said, filling the glass up, spilling a small bit of whiskey onto the table. Falco did this twice, before Fox spoke, quietly and with slurred words.

"Fox misses his dad." Falco stopped pouring and looked down at Fox.

"He's in a better place, bro." Falco didn't even sound like he'd had anything to drink on that sentence. Fox's grin was still there. His face hadn't really changed much.

"Dad…." Fox hummed, still with his drunken grin on his face.

"You alright, m-man?" Fox looked up at Falco.

"Fox loves you, Krystal…." He said.

"Dude, I-I'm not Krystal."

"Give Fox a kiss," Fox said, inching closer to Falco.

"Dude. Stop. Now." Falco didn't like homosexuals.

"Fox is sorry… Fox thought you were Krystal….You're blue….bluuuueeee…." Fox said, and fell back down onto the table, face first, and lay there.

The bird's head was pounding. Falco looked out the window. The sun could be seen, rising over the horizon in a brilliant flash of orange and red. The clouds reflected the colors, and in turn sent them down towards the city, where the windows of the skyscrapers sent the color straight down into Falco's eyes. The bird winked, and then winced, backing up out of the light. He looked around. A note sat on the bar.

_Fox tanks you….you r a god friend to Fox. Night night?_

_Fax._

"That kid should never get drunk….where'd he get off to?"

….

Fox stumbled through the front door and fell on the welcome mat. He lay there for some time, and before he knew it, Krystal had woken up, and had begun coming into the living room. Seeing her husband, she attempted to wake him up, but to no avail. Fox just sat there, still as a rock, with his drunk-grin chiseled into his hard face. When he finally came to, Krystal was there, hovering above his face.

"Hey…..You look gorgeous…" She had no makeup on and had yet to do any sort of grooming yet.

"I can't say the same for you," She replied casually. Fox tried to stand up, but fell flat on his butt. Sitting there, looking like a small child, Fox turned his head up towards Krystal.

"I am never drinking that much again for as long as I live." Krystal rolled her eyes, and moved towards the kitchen, swaying her hips seductively. Fox wished he had the energy to, but….he couldn't even get up. He fell asleep again, and Krystal was playfully determined to have him get up on his own. After two hours of failed attempts and short naps, Fox finally was able to stand up and walk to the bedroom, where he stayed for the next 16 hours.


	12. The Test

Fox stood outside of the bathroom door, pacing and tapping his foot. He was swearing softly under his breath, trying to stay calm and in control of the situation, but…he just couldn't. This was absolutely one of the scariest moments of his entire life. And this was coming from a man who had been shot, almost blown up, stabbed, and knocked out.

"How long do these things take…," he mumbled once more, continuing to walk the perimeter of the room, staring at the floor. He looked down at his phone. It had only been two minutes. "Just perfect…," he complained once more.

Fox knew what the outcome would be. Well, he didn't, but he had a clue. Or did he? He wasn't really sure of much these days, and when he was he was wrong half of the time anyways. What was going to happen? Fox had to admit that he was excited. But he was also frightened, anxious, worried, happy, sad, confused….hell, he was EVERY emotion. Fox didn't have a word for what he was feeling, but, whatever it was, Fox never wanted to experience it again. It was almost physically painful.

Another glance down at the phone. Three minutes. Fox tapped on the bathroom door.

"Krystal…?"

"Yeah?" the voice behind the door responded.

"H-how's it going?"

"I'm fine, honey, calm down."

"You sure y-you don't n-need anything?" Fox asked.

"I already told you, I'm fine. Stop worrying, I thought that was the girl's job in this instance."

Fox wanted to make a joke, but couldn't bring himself to it. He was too focused right now, and continued his endless journey around the room. Fox kept glancing up at the door, listening for any sign of it opening. No responses came, only the soft sound of the air conditioner blowing cool air into the room. Fox definitely needed that; if it was any warmer he thought he might have fainted by now.

Another minute of agony passed, and Fox began to worry. "_What if it was bad?"_ Fox thought. _"What if she's sick?"_

"I'm not sick. Calm down," Krystal yelled from the bathroom, giggling. "Men….." Fox heard.

Fox was not enjoying this; not in the slightest. He thought this was supposed to be an exciting time, but, truth be told; Fox wasn't sure he was ready yet. Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn't. He was going to have to decided that eventually; it looked like eventually would come sooner rather than later. _"No matter,"_ Fox said, stopping his travels and standing up straight. He had made quick decisions before, why couldn't he here? He could do this!

Fox heard the door begin to creak open. He rushed over to it. Whatever happened, happened. He would deal with the consequences later.

Krystal stood in the doorway with a strange look on her face. Fox wasn't sure what it meant; she certainly wasn't sad, but she wasn't happy either. She looked…..peaceful. She didn't look like she had any emotions. Fox began to realize what this meant. He recalled that whenever she put on that face, something important was going to happen.

Krystal had a small machine in her hand. It was a grayish plastic mechanism not unlike a thermometer. Krystal was slowly turning the tiny screen on the machine towards Fox. Fox bent down slightly in order to see the screen clearly. Fox's jaw dropped.

Inscribed on the machine's tiny screen was a small, red, "+".

"Fox…." He heard. Krystal was looking down on him. She was smiling, with a single tear coming out of her left eye. Suddenly, Fox's face lit up, and he picked her up in his arms, laughing hysterically.

"I'm gonna be a dad! Krystal!"

"I know, I know!" She was laughing too.

"I'm gonna be a dad! I'm gonna be a dad!" Fox couldn't contain his excitement. He was spinning in circles, running all over the room holding Krystal high above his head.

"I'm gonna be a dad!" He repeated once more. He set her down on the bed and kissed her repeatedly, saying, "I love you, Krystal! We're going to have a family! Us! You and me!"

"I love you too, Fox. I can't believe it…..only a year ago I was falling in love with you and now….well, here we are. I love you, and I always will!" She could barely contain herself either. Both of them continued dancing and laughing for a few more minutes.

Fox sat down on the bed, panting. "I'm gonna be a dad….me….." he managed to breath out. He looked over at the future mother that sat on the floor, laughing, off to his right. He hopped off the bed and went down to her, bringing his face close to hers.

"Krystal, I promise, I am NEVER going to leave your side, through all of this. I'll always be here for whatever you need, whenever you need it. If you even have the slightest desire for anything, tell me immediately. I love you," he said, holding her face in his hands.

"Fox, I can handle myself." She had always been a very independent woman.

"But if you ever need help- which I know you will- I'll be here."

"Okay. I love you too." She said, still gleaming with the bright light of excitement.

The two agreed-reluctantly- to go off and tell their separate friends the news. Fox dressed lightly and began to jog towards Falco's apartment. He needed some way to burn off all of this excess energy. Besides, it was not a far distance to begin with.

Fox walked to the front door of the apartment complex and buzzed Falco's room. The bird's voice came up through the tiny box on the wall near the elevator.

"Yeah, who is it?"

"Falco it's me, let me up bro, I have good news." Fox seemed anything but calm right now, but the bird bought it.

"Alright, cool, the door's open, close it when you come in."

….

"Falco, I gotta tell you this man, I'm so friggen excited I can barely contain myself," Fox said as he slammed the apartment door shut.

"Alright…did you run here? Damn you're sweaty as fuck."

"Yeah I did. But screw that we have more important stuff to talk about."

"You want a drink?" Falco asked.

"No, I'm good, thanks," Fox said, hurriedly running into the living room and sitting down on the couch. Falco poured himself some whiskey and sat down in the recliner adjacent.

"Alright crazy kid, what's up?"

"Krystal's pregnant dude! I'm gonna be a dad!" Fox said, standing up and jumping in place.

"Is that so? I knew you two weren't far from having kids." Fox hung his head down and scratched behind his ear. Falco just chuckled. "But seriously, I'm happy for you man. You'll be a great dad."

"Thanks man, I really appreciate it."

"Oh, for sure. Now you come over whenever you got time and we'll get our drink on bro. To celebrate." Falco laughed.

"Oh you know it man. I'll see you later though, I gotta go make some calls and stuff."

"Have a good one man, and congrats," Falco said, flipping on the television and swallowing another glass of whiskey.


	13. Screw it, I love her

Fox remembered how he fell in love with her.

Contrary to what he stated publicly, he didn't become infatuated by her immediately. Sure, he thought she was gorgeous, but he didn't actually know her. It was when she came to thank him aboard the Great Fox that he began to see even the slightest care to form a relationship with her. That showed character. Character was what Fox really found attractive.

Why did he think this way? A man in his youth usually jumps at the chance when he sees a beautiful woman. Fox, however, had learned better. A string of awful relationships destroyed Fox's ego, as well as his confidence. Before the point when he met her, Fox was firm in the belief that he could never find true love. He was just beginning to accept this as the truth, too. But then she showed up, shining like a flashlight in the darkness.

At first, Fox shrugged off his any sort of sentimentality for her. He felt these feelings were shallow and would bring him nothing but pain and maybe even further his depression. But his thoughts were different than that had been previously. He kept thinking not that he wanted to have sex with her or kiss her…..he kept thinking that he wanted to care for her. He wanted to be her role model. Fox thought this was because she'd lost everything, and these thoughts were just an extension of the normal feeling of compassion. To tell her to go away would be plain evil. Fox was certainly not evil. Alas, Fox's gut had led him in the wrong direction. Subconsciously, Fox was madly in love with the cerulean vixen. It showed in everything he did. He acted differently around her; not because he was lying, but because she brought out the true person that he was. The true, mature, depressed Fox. The Fox that longed for his family and his old life to come back.

She helped to heal his depression. Fox loved the small amount of time that they did spend together; it made him happy. Fox wasn't used to that feeling, happiness. He could be himself around her. She didn't judge, she was caring; she was basically a female version of him. She'd also experienced events in her life similar to Fox's. She'd lost everything she held dear too.

Despite this, their relationship stagnated. They remained nothing more than friends for years; and it stayed that way until the Aparoid War.

Fox had always realized-somewhat- that Krystal wanted to be something more. And it made sense. If Fox had been honest with himself, he would have realized that he wanted to have something a little more as well. He was older now- 30 years of age- and had grown past the troubled relationships of his teenage years. Fox was pleasantly surprised that she still sought his attention, seeing as he had basically ignored her for almost a decade. Sitting in his bunk one night, he realized what a fool he had been. He was lucky she was still around. It was high time that Fox took his relationship with Krystal a bit further, a bit more seriously.

He-much to his disbelief- was in love.

….

It was a cold day; the snow fell in large, unorganized clumps from the sky. Fox knew that snow had always fascinated her, since the climate on Cerinia had been too warm for that kind of weather. The two of them walked away from the city, to the south, towards the hills not far from Fox's home. It was a beautiful place at all times of the year, blanketed with snow in the winter and blooming with all colors one could see in the spring.

The two foxes trudged along, barreling through the sheets of white. Krystal seemed to be enjoying herself, and that was all that Fox could ask for. At one point, she tackled him, sending the two of them tumbling down the back side a particularly large hill, laughing the whole way. Fox landed on top of her.

He stared at her for a moment, confused. Krystal stared back up at him. Fox was panting, with both arms holding him up, one to the left, and one to the right of her. His thoughts were racing.

_What do I do? Is it too soon for something like this?_

All his thoughts formulated into one.

_Screw it, I love her._

And he fell slowly onto her lips. That was their first kiss. A first kiss long overdue. They stayed that way for a whole twenty minutes.

It only progressed from there. They were around each other constantly, and soon others began to notice. The new couple was the latest public addiction, making headlines on many major pop-culture websites. After a year, it all came to a head in the courtyard of McCloud Manor.

Krystal walked to the front door, and, noticing lights in the courtyard, walked away from where she stood and towards the iron gate to her right. Leading away from the gate and into the center of the courtyard was a long line of rose petals. In the middle, near the small fountain, was a table set for two.

Krystal stepped into the courtyard, smiling and giggling to herself. Nobody in existence had ever treated her this well. They ate dinner, and Fox snapped his fingers, bringing their song,_ Speak Softly Love,_ blaring forth from the two speakers above them like an army. Krystal looked over at Fox in disbelief. He had his right hand in his pocket, fiddling with something, and he had his left hand scratching behind his ear. Fox was looking at her feet.

"Krystal…." He began. "I know I haven't always been there for you…..I..I ignored you for such a long time…. I was a fool. But when faced with a tough decision, I flounder and fail…..I know I got this one right."

He was going down on one knee.

"Krystal….Uhm…..Will….Will you marry me?" His face was a furious color of red.

She stood there for a moment, not because she was in shock, but because it had finally happened. She knew it was coming, but, that didn't make the moment any more special.

"That's a stupid question. I love you." She said, picking him up and kissing him.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, extending his hand.

"Why of course," Krystal replied.

…..

And this is what Fox thought about, sitting on a park bench, his hands intertwined with his wife's.


	14. Marcus James McCloud

Fox paced back and forth, angrily stamping his feet into the ground with force. The room was a bright white color, but Fox saw all colors of the spectrum before his eyes, meshing in and out, moving in his vision. He felt exhausted, mixing his thoughts together, and causing confusion of the senses. It was as if he could see sounds, taste feelings, and hear smells. He had only felt this way once in his lifetime; the day after his father died, as he wandered the streets screaming at passerby. People had thought him mad. He was surprised that the blue and red bird sitting in the corner didn't think the same.

The two of them were in the Cornerian Intercity Hospital, sitting outside of Delivery Room 2. Fox wanted to be inside the room, but according to hospital policy, only doctors and patients could be in the room in cases of premature birth. And so, Fox was confined to the outside. He hated it, and had already knocked on the door multiple times, to which the doctors responded, "Please, wait, Mr. McCloud. Everything is fine," and nothing more. Falco kept chuckling. Although cruel, it was a tad comical to see Fox in such a fit.

"You think this is funny? This isn't a fucking game, man!" Fox said, rapping on the door once more. His words were slurred slightly.

"You need to relax….Everything's gonna be fine, just like the doctor keeps saying over and over."

" I cannot fuck relax! My wife is in there, and I'm out here! I should be there helping her!"

"It's just policy bro, it's gonna be fine, Krystal's a strong girl." Falco said, reassuringly. It didn't seem to affect Fox; he just continued his routine of knocking on the door and pacing the room.

About 45 minutes or so later, the latch on the door creaked open. Fox rushed over to it, watching in joyful horror, waiting for the doctor's words. As always, a million scenarios played out in his head. What if something went wrong? What if she died? What if his son died? What if BOTH of them died? What if he had a disorder, or a disease? What if he was deformed?

_No, _Fox thought. Nothing good ever came from these thoughts. It was best to wait and find out what had really happened. He paused for a moment. He listened.

He could hear Krystal's voice in his head.

_We did it._

"Mr. McCloud?" the doctor asked.

"How is she? Can I see him? My son?" Fox asked, hurriedly pushing past the doctor and into the room. Krystal lay there, her hair mopped with sweat, breathing heavily. She was holding a small white blanket. Fox knew who was wrapped inside it's warmth.

"Krystal…? Are you alright….?" She didn't speak; she only looked back and forth between the other two foxes in the room, smiling.

"Let me see him." He said, reaching his arms out towards the child. Krystal slowly and gently passed the ball of white blankets to Fox. Inside was his son.

He was almost a spitting image of Fox. The child had his mother's eyes; a dark teal color, with streaks of navy blue leading away from the pupils. His fur was patterned exactly as Fox's was, with a large white streak leading down the center of his head. He was similar to Krystal's complexion; a dark indigo color.

"What shall we call him?" Krystal asked, as Fox stared intently down at his firstborn, grinning from ear to ear.

"I want you to choose." Fox said, his eyes not leaving the newborn.

"Marcus….my father's name." she said, her smile waning slightly at the comment, and then returning to it's full glory.

Fox lifted Marcus a bit closer to his face.

"Marcus James McCloud. That's your name little guy. Mar-cus. You're going to do great things, Marcus. Great things."

**Bit of a short chapter here, but I think it drives home to feeling. Don't forget to review, I use most of your comments and suggestions to further develop my writing!**


	15. The Great Escape

_**WAAAAAAAAA! WAAAAAAAAAA!**_

"Oh bloody hell, Marcus."

Fox blinked awake, looking around the room. Krystal was still asleep, with one of her pillows wrapped around her ears to block out the sounds of the small fox.

_**WAAAAAAAAAAA!**_

Fox slid himself out of bed, and began walking towards Marcus's room. What was it he needed now?

_Where is my life going? _Fox thought, groggily stumbling through the spacious halls of the McCloud Manor. He had Krystal, and now Marcus. This is what he had wanted ever since his father died. It wasn't that he was against having no sleep or time to himself; he just didn't expect it. Fox thought he had at least another month, since Marcus was born prematurely. That was a while ago, though. Marcus was 3 months old now.

Krystal loved having a baby; she was able to remember all of her past experiences, even those as a child, because of her telepathy. Fox, however, didn't remember any part of his life up until he was 5. Fox's first memory that he clearly could recite on demand was the first time his father had set him behind the controls of a real Arwing and began to teach him how to fly.

_**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_

_Alright Fox, this is your Ignition. Say it with me. Ig-ni-tion. Good! Now, these fire your blasters-and don't even try it, their disabled-, Oh Fox. I remember when I was taught to fly. You remind me so much of myself when I was your age. _

_**WAAAAAAAAAA!**_

Why wasn't he all of the sudden filled with joy? Maybe it's because Marcus and him didn't have the connection yet. It's hard to bond so closely with someone who can hardly even speak yet. Still, Fox loved Marcus and Krystal more than anything in the world. He wouldn't give up this life for anything now, not even going back in time and re-forming Star Fox all over again. From the beginning.

Fox remembered those few days, when he wandered the streets, trying to come up with a solution. He'd contemplated suicide twice during that week. He could see it; a 16 year old vagabond. There wasn't anywhere he could go where someone wouldn't try to pity him. Fox didn't want their pity. And so, for days he snuck around in the dark alleyways of Corneria, fighting the cold and disease while planning his next, crucial moves. Eventually, Fox came in contact with Falco, and soon, Slippy, who both joined him in his quest to re-create the Star Fox squadron.

_**WAAAAAAAAA!**_

"I'm comin' little guy." Fox said, somewhat loudly. Marcus's room was only two doors down, but it felt like lightyears away. It was hard to get anything done when Fox was running on 2 hours of sleep a night, maximum. Fox still trudged on, and, reaching the door, took a few seconds to breath.

_**WAAAAAAAAAA!**_

"Apparently not." Fox sighed. Clearly Marcus had other plans. Fox turned the doorknob slowly and snuck into the room, turning on the light as he entered. Marcus was standing up in his crib, holding onto the bars that separated him from the outside world. He was trying to escape.

"Oh, you want me to help you escape?" Fox asked. Marcus looked up at him, as if to say,_ What does it look like I want you to do?_

"Well, sorry little man, that's not gonna happen," Fox said, chuckling. He walked over to Marcus's crib and began to slowly rustle the fur of the young kit's head. It was something that Fox had realized Marcus enjoyed; it was like a day at the spa for him.

Marcus laid back down in the bed, content with the treatment he had received. He gurgled, and laughed, looking up at Fox's exhausted face.

"Yeah, you did this to me buddy." Fox said, pointing at his face. "But you're worth it. I love you, kiddo. Now, please behave yourself before mommy has to come in here." Fox kissed Marcus on the head, shut out the light, and began the thousand mile journey back to his own bed.

He couldn't wait for Marcus to grow a bit older, despite the fun he was having with his son currently. He wanted him to mature a bit before he explained the story of Fox's family. He wondered what Marcus would think when Fox told him that he was a war hero.

Fox had decided that Krystal's family's story would come a bit later. Hers was a dark tale; one of death and evil deeds. Even Fox shuddered when he thought about it. Terrible things had happened on that planet. Terrible, evil things. It was no small wonder that Krystal was as wise as she was at age 31. She'd seen more than most men see in their entire lifetime. She'd lost everything. It wasn't something that Fox wanted Marcus to know right away. He was sure that Krystal would agree with him.

Fox stood, defeated and beat, in front of his bedroom doorway.

"Uhg…" Fox said, falling face first into the bed, without realizing that he had landed flat on Krystal's tail.

"AHH!" she exclaimed, jumping up and slowly petting her tail. "What the heck, Fox!"

"I'm sorry, honey, I didn't see your tail there," Fox apologized, he face buried firmly in the pillows.

"Dammit… What did Marcus want?" Krystal said, placing herself back into a comfortable position.

"Our little trickster was trying to escape."

"_Again?!" _She asked.

"Yeah…."Fox said, slowly drifting closer towards slumber.

"Well, at least he's quiet now." About fifteen minutes passed before Fox had the energy to respond.

"What time is it?" Fox asked.

Krystal walked over to the window and opened the curtains, revealing a bright light that shone directly into Fox's eyes.

"Good morning, honey," Krystal laughed.

"Oh, bloody hell Marcus….."

**I actually really enjoyed this one! Don't forget to leave a review if you liked it, and if you absolutely hated it, leave a review as well! I accept all forms of criticism! **


	16. Star Fox, Out!

"Marcus, wake up buddy!" Fox said, knocking on the door to the young kit's room. "Get up! Come on!" Marcus groaned and looked at the clock on the wall.

_4:00 A.M._

There was a reason for it…..Marcus just couldn't recall it right now, as he was slipping slowly off of the mattress and onto the wooden floor supporting his bed. A pile of books sat at the foot of the bed. Clothes lay strewn across the room. What was so special about today?

Fox stepped into the dark room, flicking on the light as he entered. The small vulpine shielded his eyes as if he were staring into the sun, his face contorted in odd positions as he grunted in disapproval.

"Oh come on little guy. This is payback for the months you spent waking ME up at 4 in the morning," Fox joked, opening a drawer and throwing a set of clothes onto the bed that Marcus was currently squirming about on.

"Just be downstairs in a few," Fox said, smiling as he walked out of the room and closed the door.

…

"Is he up?" Krystal asked as she lazily flipped bacon over in a pan.

"I think so. Takes him ages to get going," Fox said, sitting down on the couch in the living room.

"Did he seem excited?"

"He seemed tired," Fox said, turning his head over his shoulder and smiling at his beautiful wife. She'd lost the baby weight remarkably well; she looked the same way she did 10 years ago. What a ride it had been. Marcus had grown up quickly; time was flying past Fox at an alarming rate. He didn't like it, but there was no way of changing it. The hours just died off quicker than they had when he was younger. He had decided that it was because he had experienced thousands of them. Kind of like the way something seems to happen faster when you know what you're doing.

Still, Fox told himself silently that he needed to find a way to slow down.

"Are you going to come with us? He could learn a few tricks from the master Cerinian Scout." Fox questioned.

"I think this should be between you two only. Like it was with James and you." Fox didn't even feel a twang of remorse at the sound of his father's name. His death had been accepted, not forgotten.

"Krystal…." Fox stuttered.

"Yes, Fox?"

"Do you ever feel like time is passing you by?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, walking away from the kitchen and into the living room.

"I just feel….like I'm on a slope, falling forever downwards, rapidly accelerating at the one point I should be slowing down in. Do you know what I mean?"

"Like time is speeding up?" She always knew what was inside his heart.

"Yeah, exactly."

"My world became a highway after Cerinia. Time passes by extremely fast for me," she said, staring at the grooves in the planks of wood on the finished floor.

"I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's alright. It's a natural feeling, and sadly one I don't think I should help you with."

"Why is that?" Fox asked, more confused than upset.

"When I learned to control the speed of my life, it gave me a confidence like I had never experienced before. I want you to feel it too."

Fox sat there for a moment. Her argument made sense, and she had never done anything to hurt him.

"Alright. I trust you," he said, after quizzically looking at the ceiling for a few moments.

…

Marcus stumbled into the room, pulling himself up to a set seat at the table in the kitchen. Fox sat adjacent.

"So, buddy…you ready?" He asked.

"I'm gonna destroy you," he said, with a playful, but slightly evil grin across his face.

"Oh are you now? I'm not sure that's on my schedule."

"It is now," Marcus laughed, sending his father the evil look again and returning to his breakfast.

…

Marcus jogged excitedly into through the solid titanium doors that separated the Great Fox's control room from it's many corridors. Fox followed, taking in a large breath of the dusty air that filled his old home. Marcus gravitated almost immediately to the commander's chair; one Fox knew very well. Marcus was clearly a McCloud. Fox, however, walked nonchalantly over towards a small steel box in the corner of the room. He opened this box, revealing the small grooves and bolts of ROB's head.

"Hey old buddy," Fox said, pulling the robot up out of the box and into a standing position. He flicked the switch behind him, sending the battered machine roaring forth with power. ROB stood erect and then began to scan his surroundings. As this was happening, Fox swiped the dust and grime off of ROB's head. Marcus sat, watching in awe. He had never been aboard the Great Fox.

"What is that?" Marcus asked, pointing at the tan robot that sent it's red lasers back and forth across the room.

"Get up and I'll show you," Fox said, smiling.

"SCAN COMPLETE. HULL INTERGRITY AT 100%. WEAPONS BEING BROUGHT ONLINE."

"Scratch that ROB, power down the weapons. We won't be needing them," Fox said, striding quickly towards the Commander's Chair. "Give me the controls."

"CONTROLS ONLINE. ENGINES ARE READY FOR USE. WARP DRIVE BEING BROUGHT ONLINE."

"Cut power to the warp drive, direct it towards the main engines," Fox said, looking over at Marcus, who stood in the midst of a real military ship, jaw dropped. Fox found it amusing; this was just another day at the office for him.

"Wow….." the young kit uttered.

Fox just chuckled, continuing the startup routines for the dreadnaught class warship.

"ROB, connect me to Station 17 Aerodynamics Port."

"CONNECTED."

A young, brown toad appeared on the hologram transmission screen.

"Good to see you again, Mr. McCloud. Am I correct in guessing that the Great Fox is being taken out for a spin?" The toad asked, smiling warmly to Fox.

"You're right. We'll be out a few days."

"And who's this?" he questioned, tilting his holographic head towards the cerulean kit who stared up at him with a stern, militaristic face.

"He's my…." Fox began.

"Marcus McCloud, at your service sir!" Marcus said, giving the toad a strong salute.

"Quite the little soldier you've got there, sir." The young man chuckled.

Fox laughed, and responded with, "Are we clear for takeoff, Phil?"

"You've got a gap. We'll see you soon." He answered.

"Gotcha…"

"Star Fox, out!" Marcus said, excitedly finishing his father's sentence. The toad smiled once more as he faded away.

…..

"Dad, when are we gonna do the simulation?" Marcus asked as Fox began bringing the frigate to a slow crawl.

"Right now, actually," Fox said, swiping the control panel off to his side. "ROB, activate autopilot. Set course for Sauria."

"COURSE SET." ROB replied, steering the ship slightly to the left. It would be at least 14 hours before the three of them reached Sauria's orbit.

Fox slid off the seat, patting his son on the shoulder. Marcus was still looking around at all the buttons and lights in the room; he could only imagine what each of them did.

The two of them walked through the halls, son following father. Marcus was deep in thought; or so it seemed to Fox.

"What's on your mind?" Fox asked, banking right around a corner.

"Tactics," Marcus replied, not looking up. Fox just grinned and continued his brisk walk towards the simulation room.

…

Marcus came flying through the titanium doors, making a mad dash for one of the practice Arwings stationed in the room. Fox walked slowly over to the last Arwing; his favorite. He slid the canopy over his head and strapped himself in. He flipped on his ignition, and the computerized canopy immediately was filled with the sight of rolling green hills, with mountains far in the distance. His Arwing was stationed in a small village. Fox slammed the accelerator strip forward, lurching his Arwing into the air.

Fox had chosen the Arwing 3 model for this simulation; it held the heaviest armament, but also boasted the slowest turning speed. No matter; Fox could outturn any computer- and most certainly his 10 year old son- with his superior intellect. As Fox looked around, he could see something very peculiar in the distance. A sprawling Metropolis- surrounded by 5, star shaped forts- lay in wait. Behind him three artificial Arwings fell into position. Fox noticed each of the squad member lights go green, meaning his teammates needed orders.

No doubt the city was in Marcus's possession; there were blue flags with his custom insignia all over it. The emblem consisted of a gold fox's head and two blasters, which were crossed underneath the head.

Fox smiled; perhaps he was going to be destroyed today.

Marcus's face appeared on the communications panel.

"Surrender, or face the wrath of the McCloud Empire!" he demanded, shouting into his silver headset.

"Star Fox never surrenders!" Fox replied, closing the communications channel.

Fox's team consisted of himself, Falco's AI, Krystal's AI, and his father's AI. It was them against an army. And Marcus, who, although Fox tried to belittle in every way at this moment, was a competent pilot; he could easily outmatch any run-of-the-mill Cornerian pilot, and he was only 10. Clearly the boy wanted to prove his worth. This would be a tough battle.

Each of the four members of Virtual Star Fox dove off and took on a separate fort. Fox found that using divide and conquer techniques against cities worked surprisingly well, despite the risk of Anti-Aircraft fire. Most Star Fox pilots could evade the turrets and flak cannons with ease, and therefore they posed little to no threat.

Suddenly, Fox saw AI Krystal's readings go dark. Even seeing a virtual Krystal shot down sent pain through his veins; he didn't like her to get hurt EVER, even if it was only a computer fighting like her. What had gotten her?

"One down, three to go," Marcus said menacingly over the communications channel.

"Perhaps he's been practicing a bit more than I thought," Fox said to himself, effortlessly chewing his way through Marcus's defenses.

Within a short time, all of the forts had fallen, and the Virtual Star Fox team regrouped above the city's skyscrapers. While circling the city, Marcus had learned of his small loss, and sent a contingent-led by himself- to assault the team above the city while they were regrouping.

_A poor decision, son….Don't let the anger overcome you like that…._

Fox looped his Arwing through the air, and, upon spinning back upright, found himself behind Marcus and another pilot. Marcus's army was using Venomian fighters; at least that choice had been made in good thought. Venomian fighters had proved tough foes in the Lylat wars, and, though outdated, could take a number of heavy hits before losing all control. Plus, they looked cool. That's probably why Marcus chose them.

Fox decided to decimate the fighter adjacent Marcus; the kit could probably counter such a basic maneuver anyways. The large, blue interceptor shuddered, spiraling down into one of the city's skyscrapers.

Visions of Corneria blurred in Fox's head. The three skyscrapers fell, one by one, into a pile of ash and fire, spreading death and confusion throughout the entire system.

Fox shook his head, focusing on the task at hand. Marcus's numbers dwindled; he was close to defeat. Fox checked his surroundings. James had been hit multiple times; he was pulling away from the skirmish. It made sense; that's what James would have done. Falco was chasing down another blue Venomian fighter, spraying green plasma into it's engines. Four Venomian fighters, as well as Marcus's custom Arwing 4, remained. Fox began tracking an interceptor, making sure Marcus wasn't on his tail. That was the only real threat here. Fortunately for Fox, Marcus wasn't gunning for him, but unfortunately for AI Falco, Marcus was already charging two shots aimed directly at him.

The red plasma sprayed forth from Marcus's cannons, crashing into Falco's left wing and ripping it clean off. Falco's squad light went dark in Fox's cockpit; there was no surviving a blow like that directly above a city. Fox was alone, set into a 3 vs 1 matchup.

The two fighters had gone down with ease; Marcus had made the rookie mistake of choosing quantity over quality. Still, he had been able to successfully shoot down two members of Star Fox, and wound it's founder. Not bad, even when the difficulty was vamped down a notch. Fox wanted to challenge Marcus, but he also wanted it to be fair. If all four Star Fox members had been trying as hard as possible, this battle would've ended five minutes ago.

Fox turned into a machine; a matchup like this was no laughing manner. He rolled off two shots from the largest fighter, a Venomian Bomber, which Fox knew was a model that controlled very poorly. He had an advantage there, and took it. Fox slammed on his brake levers, sending the lumbering bomber sailing past. The instant the blue beast roared past him, Fox pushed the accelerator forward once more, chasing after and tracking his newest victim. The bomber fell out of the sky after inhaling a volley of green plasma.

Two more. Fox wheeled around, turning a full 90 degrees. Marcus was circling above him; obviously waiting for his grunts to do the dirty work. Unfortunately for him, this wasn't going to happen. Marcus would have to come after him all alone; father versus son. The newest target was a standard Venomian Interceptor; the model could out-turn many other interceptors and fighters, but could take hardly more than two hits, even in the hands of a skilled pilot.

One shot was all Fox needed, however, and the vulpine switched to the offensive. He tailed the light aircraft relentlessly; repeatedly spraying off shots until the tiny ship finally gave out and spiraled into the streets below.

Fox didn't want to think of that day.

Suddenly, Marcus came diving down from the sky. A standard technique, one that was difficult to avoid, but also hard to be completely shot down by. Marcus managed to singe part of Fox's left wing, which, to be frank, wasn't much of an issue. A fine hit, nonetheless. Marcus had already succeeded in doing more than most pilots in the Lylat Wars had. A twang of pride shocked its way through Fox's body.

Marcus began to climb again; a rookie mistake. Fox now had the advantage. He could either pursue, which was the common option, or he could drop down into the city, taking advantage of his superior handling. Fox decided to choose the latter of the two, and pointed his aircraft down towards the skyscrapers below. Marcus continued circling, obviously aware of his disadvantage. Fox wasn't coming out anytime soon.

This cycle of circling and hiding continued on for about a minute, when Marcus came soaring down amongst the skyscrapers, searching for his father's Arwing. Fox could see his son fine enough; it was Marcus who wasn't used to this environment. He wasn't ready for this. After a short while, Fox decided to end the feud. A victory wouldn't be necessary on Marcus's first simulation, in fact, it would probably be better he lost. It would instill a sense of imperfection in him, and along with it, the desire to improve.

Fox turned on the afterburners, sailing out over Main Street where Marcus's fighter lulled about, unsure of what to do next. He never saw it coming. Within an instant, the green plasma filled his cockpit, and the canopy of the simulation Arwing slid up over him.

"Aw man…." Marcus moaned, sitting in the leathery chair staring at his lap, wondering what had gone wrong.

Fox walked up to the side of the practice craft, leaning on the open cockpit.

"What was that about being destroyed?" He asked playfully.

"You only won because you had Mom…" Marcus groaned, quickly trying to come up with other excuses.

"Yeah, you shot down Mom in about three minutes."

"No I didn't, that was one of my sergeants. He was my best one too, until you lit him up with lasers."

"Hey, in all seriousness, he had it coming." Fox chuckled, pulling the child out of the cockpit and setting him down.

"No he didn't, he was only doing his job, Dad." Marcus said, defeated yet not upset.


	17. Time Flys When You're Having Fun

Rather than standing, Fox sat in a padded blue chair, which was placed on the balcony he had come to know as his personal fortress, his secret island. It was where he went when he needed some quiet time, some time to think things out. That was exactly what he planned on doing this evening.

Krystal and Marcus were away; they had gone to a school function, leaving Fox to his own devices. Fox was happy to see that Marcus was not becoming the angsty teenager he had anticipated. On the contrary, Marcus seemed quite content with life; he had met a girl, Julia, who visited him constantly, though they weren't dating-according to Marcus. Fox knew this was a blatant lie. Fox could often hear them laughing away in the living room whilst he worked on various projects in the basement, and, when he did see them, they often jolted away from each other. Fox just chuckled and continued on with his own business. Since when had a McCloud ever been confident around the other sex?

Fox, however, spent his time a little differently than in his youth. He had taken to writing; all manners and forms of it. He'd already published a novel, which kept a steady flow of cash inside the McCloud family budget. Fox didn't think it was his best work, but it was what people wanted to read that made money. No, Fox believed his greatest work was a poem. A short one, only about 10 lines, consisting of 5 couplets. It was about Krystal, which should be obvious; she was basically his entire adult life.

Fox would not be writing tonight. This night would see him playing the role of philosopher.

Fox slowly uncorked the bottle of wine that sat on a small table next to him. Clearly, this evening was meant to be a long one. After pouring some of the red liquid into a glass, Fox took a short sip, looking out over the Cornerian skyline. The sun shot it's brilliant orange and red rays out into the city, piercing through the windows of the towering metal giants which hung in the air like statues. People would surely be out and about; the bars were just opening, the shops beginning to close.

Fox's attention was drawn to a certain green tower, the tallest in the city, whose construction was nearing completion. There was a certain emptiness to the air around it; the whole area seemed oddly peaceful. The tower had been erected as a memoriam to all those lost in Matthew Taylor's Attacks, as well as the Lylat Wars, the Aparoid War, and all other conflicts within the Lylat System.

James McCloud's name was somewhere in there.

Had he been a good father so far? Fox thought so. He hadn't been a bad example; Fox rarely cursed in front of Marcus, and he never drank unless the blue vulpine was out of the house. Even when he did drink, it wasn't as much as Fox knew he could handle. Yes, he'd been the perfect example; diligent, courteous, productive, reverent. It was strange, living in a home of two deeply religious people. Fox himself was an outspoken atheist; he believed religion was worthless. What had any god ever done for him? It always made Krystal angry whenever he spoke about his beliefs, so Fox mostly kept them to himself. He could respect people that were religious, he just didn't believe in anything like that.

But, all things considered, Fox thought he'd been a good father up to this point. He'd been a fine husband too; him and Krystal rarely fought, and their connection was as strong as it was almost 20 years ago.

_20 years ago. _

Had it really been that long? Where was time going? Fox hardly realized it. He was 48 years old now. If he wasn't old before, he certainly was now. How much longer did he have to live, to breathe in the sweet air of the plains, to feel the snow falling upon his face each winter? This was something he hadn't thought about before. Sure, as a mercenary he knew death was always nagging at his side. Fox had assumed that, had he gone out that way, it would've been fine. He had always been ready. But now; now he was all alone. Nobody was going to come kill him. He had time. Not as much as he would have liked, but time.

Marcus was 15; at 18 he would inevitably leave the manor. Fox had already talked to Marcus about it. Marcus was going to try and live the mercenary lifestyle as well. A foreseeable choice, considering all his training and his disposition. Military life wouldn't cut it for him.

Another Star Fox…..what a thought. Three whole generations of men and women, devoted to protecting an entire system. It sounded like something out of a movie. Fox had been a part of it. His entire family had. It was something to be happy about; all the success, the prestige….it was all his and his family's.

Still, it pained Fox to see Marcus go. He loved his son more than anything, and, while he had also been preparing himself for Marcus to leave the house, he still felt a bit remorseful. Fox knew what was at stake behind that cockpit; life and death. But, he was confident in his son's ability to survive.

Fox was glad that he'd given Marcus a good life; something his father had unintentionally failed to do. James didn't want to die; as a matter of fact it's probably better that he did. Who knows where Lylat would be if James didn't buy Fox time to re-form the team. Unintentionally, of course, James had just been doing his job.

Still, from the point of James's death until he met Krystal, Fox's life was filled with grief and anguish. There were times when he had contemplated suicide, even planned it out. It was a good thing he hadn't. Looking back at all his past decisions, Fox realized that he had lived a good life so far, despite the death of his parents and friends, as well as the millions inside the towers. Nothing had befallen him directly, and, though his was not always the happiest face, it was a successful one.

"Honey, we're home!" Krystal yelled. Where had time gone again?


	18. You Made Me

Fox slapped his old paw onto his son's shoulder, staring into the blue vulpine's soul. Marcus was dressed in a white flight jacket, black aviators, and a yellow scarf; typical clothes of a Star Fox member, or, more specifically, a Star Fox leader. Behind Fox was the McCloud manor; behind Marcus, a truck, loaded with other like-minded young men. And a certain young woman.

"Take care of yourself." Fox said, smiling sincerely.

"You know I will, Dad."

"And remember, looping fixes everything." Fox said, reminding the young man of his training.

"I will, Dad." Marcus said, grinning, trying to hold back his emotions. His mental wall came crashing down when he saw Krystal, his mother, smiling through tears.

"Oh, come here, Mom…I love you." Marcus said, embracing her. Marcus had turned out to be a towering giant of a boy compared to his parents; he was 6'2''. Krystal looked like a mere garden gnome compared to him.

"Just don't die, please just don't die," she pleaded, "And take any advice your father can give you."

"Oh, I will. He's still the only pilot in the Lylat system that can beat me," Marcus said, turning around and acknowledging the aging fox behind him.

Krystal began to speak to Marcus in Cerinian, a language, although he heard it almost every day, Fox could still not decipher. It was far too different than Cornerian; there was almost no similarities between the two.

"Uok Tik Lan, Tia De." She said. It appeared to be some sort of blessing.

"Meh Dahn, Meh Dahn." Marcus responded. It was always fascinating to Fox whenever Krystal spoke in Cerinian; it was like seeing a piece of history happening before his very eyes.

The two embraced again, Marcus pulling away this time, still hovering close to his mother. Leaving would be tough, but he was about to begin his life's work. Needless to say, Marcus was eager to get going.

"I'm gonna get going." Marcus said.

"Don't be a stranger. Stop by whenever you're in Corneria. Call me if you need any advice. I've been through the same things, you know that all too well." Fox said, detached slightly from the situation. The situation was a little too real for him.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mom and Dad." Marcus said, a single solitary tear blinking it's way into existence, only to be swiped away by an indigo paw.

"Goodbye, Marcus," Krystal and Fox said, exchanging their last conversations with their only son.

"Bye, and thanks. For raising me, for making me who I am. I'm actually really grateful I didn't turn out to be some loser; I'm doing things with my life. All of this is in you guys's name." Marcus blurted out, jogging towards the truck which held all 5 members of the new Star Fox team.

Within an instant, they were bumping down the road, driving off to begin a new life.

…

Fox sat on his porch, looking up at the stars. Any minute now.

The Great Fox rose above the skyscrapers, flashing green and red strobe lights, soaring off into the distance. That was the first time Fox had ever seen the frigate in the air from a spectator's point of view; it was truly an awe-inspiring spectacle.

"Wow….." Krystal murmured, sitting in the chair adjacent to Fox. He took her cerulean paw in his, she responded by moving their joint hands onto her thigh. Fox rubbed gently, twirling the soft, downy fur of her legs.

Their only son, Marcus, was on his way.

Would Fox ever get involved in Star Fox again? Probably not. Now in his fifties, Fox realized what he could and couldn't do. Charging head first into a warzone was one of the few things he could not do.

"I miss him already…" Krystal sighed, staring blankly into the sky where the Great Fox and been hovering.

"Remember what I said when he was born?" Fox said, not averting his gaze away from the stars.

"'That's your name, little guy. Mar-cus. You're going to do great things, Marcus. Great things.'" She recited, word for word from memory.

Fox didn't respond. Their conversation was over for the night. The two of them sat there, holding hands under the Corneria skylight, wondering what Marcus's life would be like now, and what lay in wait for the two of them.

**I quite like the idea of doing monumental events in Fox's life in very short chapters. I feel like it adds emphasis, or a sense of urgency. Please don't take this as laziness; each and every word of this chapter was carefully planned out, and each sentence has some sort of underlying meaning. **


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